Apple fans in the European Union wishing to buy an iPhone SE or iPhone 14 are facing a setback. The tech company has officially withdrawn all products equipped with Lightning ports from its stores in the region.

Effective Saturday, December 28, the European Union’s new regulation that establishes USB-C as the standard charging interface for smartphones, tablets, and various electronic devices has been implemented. In reaction, Apple has removed all Lightning-dependent products from its EU Apple Stores.

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Devices such as the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE, which still used the Lightning port, were pulled from the shelves on Friday, as reported by [MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2024/12/27/apple-stops-selling-iphone-14-and-se-in-eu/). These items are no longer for sale in Apple’s online shops across EU countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Verge also [confirmed](https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/28/24330733/apple-pulls-lightning-based-devices-from-european-stores) the elimination of these products from Apple’s EU retail platforms.

Nevertheless, since the law is only applicable to EU countries, Apple continues to offer Lightning-based products in the U.S. and other areas outside the EU.

The EU’s USB-C charging directive was [approved](https://mashable.com/article/apple-iphone-usb-c-european-parliament-official) in 2022, granting companies until the close of 2024 to adapt. Subsequently, Apple [confirmed](https://mashable.com/article/apple-iphone-usb-c-charging-confirmed) that the iPhone 15 would be its first model to incorporate USB-C, signaling the beginning of the end for the Lightning connection. By September 2024, Apple had [transitioned](https://mashable.com/article/apple-kills-lightning-cable-iphone-16-event) its entire range of products to USB-C.

While the iPhone 14 has already been succeeded by USB-C models like the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, the iPhone SE has not received an update since 2022. This implies that EU consumers in search of Apple’s affordable iPhone will have to wait a bit longer. Apple is anticipated to [release](https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/19/iphone-se-4-expected-to-launch-in-march/) a new iPhone SE in March, which will come equipped with a USB-C charging port.