Starting December 28th, all new phones sold in the European Union must have USB-C. And while that deadline is still about a week away, Apple has begun pulling the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus — the last models with Apple’s proprietary lightning port — from its Swiss online store.
Apple begins pulling iPhone SE, 14, and 14 Plus from EU
The move comes about a week ahead of an EU regulation requiring USB-C.
The move comes about a week ahead of an EU regulation requiring USB-C.
is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine.
The removal was first spotted by MacRumors, based on a report earlier this month from French publication iGeneration. The Verge has since confirmed that the Swiss online Apple Store will state that any configuration of the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus is “currently unavailable” if you try to put it in your cart. However, other online Apple Stores in EU countries, such as France and Spain, currently still have the phones in stock.
Given the December 28th deadline, Apple’s other EU stores will soon follow suit. That said, it’s unclear why Apple decided to pull stock from Switzerland a week early or if it will do the same with other countries. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
The EU regulation is also why Apple finally switched over the USB-C for the iPhone 15 in 2023. As for the iPhone SE, a fourth-gen model is rumored for early 2025 with USB-C and other upgrades like an OLED display.
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