In a world first, EU governments and parliament agreed on Tuesday to a single charging port for mobile phones, tablets, and cameras, requiring Apple to modify the connector on iPhones sold in Europe by 2024.
For more than a decade, Brussels has pushed for a single mobile charging connector, sparked by concerns from iPhone and Android users about having to switch between multiple chargers for their smartphones. After corporations failed to achieve a single solution, the European Commission intervened, claiming that it would make life easier for customers and save them money.
iPhones use Lightning cables to charge, while Android smartphones use USB-C connectors.
According to a 2019 Commission study, half of the chargers sold with mobile phones in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29 percent had a USB-C connector and 21% had a Lightning connector.
In a statement, the European Parliament stated, “By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras in the EU.”
Consumers would save roughly 250 million euros ($267 million) as a result of the agreement, according to EU industry director Thierry Breton. “It will also allow new technologies like wireless charging to emerge and mature without letting innovation become a source of market fragmentation and consumer inconvenience” he added.
“We are proud that laptops, e-readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer mice, and portable navigation devices are also included,” said MP Alex Agius Saliba, who led the debate in parliament.
Laptops will be required to comply with the law within 40 months after its implementation. Wireless charging solutions will be harmonised by the EU executive in the future.
Apple has stated that the proposal will stifle innovation and result in a mound of technological waste. Samsung, Huawei, and other gadget makers will be impacted by the fact that the agreement covers e-readers, earbuds, and other technology.
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