The EU could force Apple to make another change to the iPhone

Apple is expected to bring USB-C to the iPhone 15 later this year, ditching the Lightning cable for the first time. It isn't doing it by choice though, with the company being forced to make the move by a European Union directive. Now, it seems that there might be more trouble on the horizon for Apple's hardware design team.

Another new rule which was approved earlier this week will see all phones forced to have more easily removed and replaced batteries. What that will mean for phone makers including Apple remains to be seen, but it's unlikely to be good for a company that is notorious for making it difficult for people to repair their own devices.

The new rule will make it a requirement for portable batteries in appliances like phones to be made in such a way that consumers can easily remove and replace them, and the iPhone will obviously fall very squarely in that bracket. But it isn't just Apple, with other phone makers also expected to have to make design tweaks to abide by the new EU requirements.

But it's Apple that the focus is on because of its USB-C switch, a move that the EU has already forced on a company that doesn't like to be told what to do.

The new EU requirement will impact all portable batteries sold in European territories starting in 2027, so companies like Apple still have plenty of time to get their ducks in a row ahead of time. But given how far in advance companies begin designing products, that four years might not seem so long to those designing iPhones inside Apple Park.