Recently, the European Commission issued a resolution requiring all new smart machines to use type-c (usb c) interface, for the purpose of protecting the environment and reducing the generation of Electronic waste. This is undoubtedly a job breaker for Apple. Immediately, Apple said that this measure would not only increase the production of Electronic waste, but also cause inconvenience for Apple users.

The dispute between Apple and the European Union over interfaces is not just about the recent mandatory requirement to use type-c. Last year, the European Union had already called on Apple to require that Apple's new smart devices must use type-c. Apple took note of it, but did not fully understand it. Therefore, in 2020, we saw new Mac laptops using type-c charging and Apple charging cables that convert type-c to Lighting., Including the new iPad that just launched this year and used type-c.

The question is, under the trend of type-C popularization, why does Apple insist on adhering to the Lighting interface and also insist on the hard steel EU?

In a word, all the prosperity in the world is for profit, all the prosperity in the world is for profit, and all the bustling in the world is for profit. Apple's lighting is not only the foundation of apple ecology, but also a cash cow.

Apple's adherence to the Lighting interface is mainly due to its MFI certification system (i.e. Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod), and it is also the main reason for the huge price difference in Apple's Lighting charging cables due to this system.

In the MFI system, each Lighting line needs to be embedded with an MFI certification chip, which can cost up to $3. After a complete production process, the cost price of this data line starts at $20. It's equivalent to saying that if a digital accessory manufacturer produces a Lighting data cable, they need to pay Apple 3 yuan.

The reason for this is still Apple's unwillingness to embrace type-c, or the "Apple tax" brought about by MFI. In addition, the huge benefits brought by Apple's launch of various expansion docks and converters are also a major reason for Apple's rejection of type-c.

The dispute between Apple and the European Union is not just about the Lighting interface and type-c interface, but also about antitrust and tax disputes. Despite Apple paying billions of dollars in fines during this process, the two are still insisting on tearing X, and Apple still stands firm in their fight against the European Union.

Since 2016, Apple has been fined by the European Union to pay 13 billion euros in taxes to EU countries such as Ireland, due to improper tax avoidance measures taken by Apple in the EU region. In 2020, the EU launched an antitrust investigation on Apple's App store and Apple pay against the "30% flat fruit tax". At present, the result of this investigation is unknown. If the final investigation results are reversed to the EU, Apple may have to pay billions of dollars more to pay a fine.

From the current pace of Apple's interface adjustments, it seems that there have been changes, but not completely. So what is everyone's opinion on whether Apple can ultimately comply with the European Union and abandon Lighting as a cash cow to switch to type-c!

Source: Codenongjian Machine