Two iPhones banned in Europe

Say what? Have the Eurocrats gone mad again?

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WTF! Apple is pulling the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE from sale in Europe?

Apple’s decision is all about the Lightning port on those phones. And, in my opinion, the European Union is right to take a stand on this issue. Although there’s an argument to be made that bureaucrats should stay out of design decisions, the EU-mandated standardization on USB-C charging ports is a great idea.

I’m delighted that most of my gadgets use the same charging cable these days. It’s more convenient for me, and much better for the planet. This is one the EU got absolutely right, even if it is dictating how Apple runs its business.

Meddling bureaucrats or consumer champions?

What’s your take? Sound off in the poll below.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • Apple just released updated firmware for HomePods. Here’s how to check for the latest software.

  • I own this very same multibutton Apple TV remote and prefer it to the fiddly Siri Remote. Guess what? It’s on sale!

  • Nothing pisses me off more than Americans worshipping the British royal family. Really, of all people, Americans should know better. (I’m British and a staunch republican — not GOP, a small “r” republican like Oliver Cromwell. I’d love to see the monarchy abolished.) Anyway, rant over, Tim Cook hung out with King Charles at Apple’s London HQ on Thursday. Check out the pics of Battersea Power Station, and try not to get enraged by the sausage-fingered crook whose ancestors have been robbing the British people since the Middle Ages!

  • It’s hard to believe now, but AirPods were widely derided and ridiculed when they were introduced on this day in 2016.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

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Today’s poll

Is the EU right to force Apple to make design changes?

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