Brazil is now the third country to call for Apple to replace its Lightning connector with the USB-C standard, citing that the change could help reduce electronic waste.

In early June, the European Union put forth new rules that would require all smartphones to utilize the USB-C standard for charging.

Shortly after, U.S. senators called on the U.S. Commerce Department mandate a universal common charger standard.

Now, Brazil has also called for universal charging support. But, like the EU, they believe Apple should swap its proprietary Lightning connector for the more widely-adopted USB-C.

According to Technoblog, as spotted by 9to5Mac, Brazilian regulators are pushing for smartphone manufactures to standardize their charging ports.

Anatel, the Brazilian regulatory agency, states that standardization would allow for greater consumer convenience.

Additionally, it believes that the move could reduce electronic waste by allowing customers to reuse chargers they already have.

Anatel's proposal would require companies to switch to USB-C by July 1, 2024.

The proposal does, however, allow for companies to move away from charging cables entirely. Any device that can only be recharged wirelessly would not be required to implement a USB-C charging port.

The agency is allowing Brazilians and tech companies to share their opinions about the project until August 26, 2022.

Apple may already be working on a USB-C iPhone. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the 2023 "iPhone 15" will abandon the Lightning connector and instead use USB-C.

Source: Appleinsider