The European Union recently released a proposal that makes the tech giants stick to a standard charging port for mobile phones, tablets, headphones, and other day-to-day gadgets.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has announced plans to force smartphone and other electronics manufacturers to fit a common USB-C charging port on their devices. And iPhones are not exempted.
The agreement will significantly impact Apple, the only major smartphone manufacturer, to still use a proprietary port instead of USB-C. In 2021, Apple sold 56 million iPhones in Europe.
EU executive vice president Margrethe Vestager released an official statement to the media and said that European consumers have been frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers.
She confirmed that the European Commission had given the industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions and confirmed to take legislative action for a common charger. It seems that Apple is facing a lot of issues after their decision to opt for other lighting and USB-C charging ports for all the latest devices.
The new rule also applies to other electronic devices, including tablets, cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers. Additionally, laptops will have to comply with the rule at a later date.
The legislation has been in process for over a decade and was finalized on Tuesday by leaders across the EU.
European Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba said in a statement:
“Today, we have made the common charger a reality in Europe!”
“European consumers were frustrated long with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics.”
We have a deal on the common charger!
This means more savings for EU consumers and less waste for the planet:
mobile phones, tablets, cameras… will all use USB type C
harmonised fast-charging technology
unbundling of sale of chargers #SingleMarket #DigitalEU pic.twitter.com/qw2cJV4RY0— European Commission (@EU_Commission) June 7, 2022
It’s also worth noting that these rules only apply to devices that charge via a cable and not those that exclusively feature wireless charging.
According to the proposal, these smartphone manufacturers will be given a 24-month transition to switch to a universal phone charger for all their devices. On other hand, the legislation still needs to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council later this year.
In a statement by EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton said this was not intended to target Apple:
“The rule applies to all… It’s not adopted against anybody. We’re working for the consumers, not the companies,” he noted that the rules inform companies on how “to enter the internal market.”
The Gateway Punding added:
Apple has continually pushed back on the EU’s endeavors to require USB-C charging on its devices.
“We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” an Apple spokesperson told Reuters last year.
Apple also told Reuters that requiring a switch to USB-C would create waste rather than reduce it by making its existing ecosystem of proprietary accessories redundant.
Sources: TheGatewayPundit, Reuters
