Apple stops selling iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone SE 3rd generation
The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE won’t be available for purchase in most EU countries, after a set of EU guidelines stipulated that all mobile devices must be charged via USB-C.
The European Parliament voted to standardize charging solutions across all devices, meaning that all laptops, phones, tablets, and other gadgets must use a standard USB-C socket, and that anything with 100W power must use the USB-C standard, with the deadline for this change being the end of the year.
You won’t find any of these phones for sale online in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and most other EU countries, as the iPhone 14 generation was the last to use Lightning cables, so instead of updating an already old phone, Apple has pulled the devices from the market.
These phones are still on sale in the UK, and due to Brexit in 2020, Apple has started to reduce availability in stores, but you can still see the iPhone 14 for sale in the Apple Store or at authorized retailers, and because the iPhone SE still uses Lightning chargers, it has also been withdrawn, however we expect to see the iPhone SE 4 launch in the coming months, and it will almost certainly use USB-C. With the iPhone 15 coming in 2023, the USB-C port will become standard on all iPhone models. The company has also updated almost all of its accessories such as the AirPods and Magic Mouse with a USB-C port.
According to MacRumors and confirmed by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE can no longer be found for purchase in Apple’s online store in most countries in the European Union, and local legislation has stipulated that companies have until December 28 to update their products with a USB-C port, otherwise they will no longer be sold in the EU.
For customers in the EU, this means they’ll miss out on the cheapest iPhones – at least for now. The iPhone 14 was launched in September 2022, keeping the iPhone 13 design with some minor hardware improvements – such as Emergency SOS via satellite. As for the iPhone SE 3, it was launched in March 2022 and still has the old iPhone 8 design with a home button.
EU stores will be able to sell the remaining stock of the devices that Apple will discontinue in the region. So if you live in the EU and are considering picking up the iPhone 14, this could be your last chance. Interestingly, Apple will also discontinue these devices in Northern Ireland, despite it not being part of the EU.
Apple is rumored to be introducing a new, redesigned iPhone SE with a USB-C port early next year, which may be why the company hasn’t bothered to discontinue the current model in the EU. As for the iPhone 14, the model is likely to be discontinued anyway in September 2025 with the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup.
Other options for Apple users:
Despite the discontinuation, there are still many excellent options for consumers in the EU, such as the iPhone 15 series with great specifications, or waiting for the new iPhone SE which will be an ideal option for those looking for a budget phone.