The USB-C port is one step closer to becoming the go-to charging port for all smartphones after new proposed legislation from the European Union. This story has been ongoing for over 10 years, but this is the most significant step forward so far. The European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection announced it has reached a deal on introducing laws around a common charger, and it'll mean changes have to take place by 2024.
Lawmakers wish to reduce the amount of proprietary charging tech used by consumer electronics companies to ensure customers can use one charger across multiple products. The idea is that this will reduce e-waste, but it will also make your life easier as you'll need to own one charger for many products. The provisional agreement will need to be signed off by all 27 EU countries and the European Parliament before this becomes law.
The big change here will be for Apple, the biggest smartphone manufacturer that doesn't embrace USB-C. Some of Apple's products do use the charging standard, such as its iPad line, but all of its smartphones continue to use the Lightning charging port. If Apple wants to continue selling iPhones in Europe — which it obviously will — it will need to include USB-C technology instead.
Rumors suggest Apple is ready to embrace USB-C for the iPhone series, despite multiple occasions where the company has hit out at the European Union over this policy. Apple has said that it believes this legislation stifles innovation and it'll create more e-waste by making people swap accessories from Lightning connectors to USB-C. Some sources like Ming-Chi Kuo have suggested the company may swap to USB-C as soon as 2023's iPhone 15.
European Parliament member Alex Agius Saliba hosted a press conference around the announcement. He said, "If Apple wants to market their products, sell their products within our internal market, they have to abide by our rules, and this Apple device [pointing to an iPhone] has to be USB-C. This is a rule that will apply to everyone."
It doesn't just impact smartphones, though as this also relates to various other aspects of consumer technology. These are specifically small electronic devices, which the European Union lists as the below:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- E-readers
- Laptops
- Digital cameras
- Headphones
- Headsets
- Handheld video game consoles
- Portable speakers
- Earbuds
- Keyboards and mice
- Portable navigation devices
It's unclear if fitness trackers and smartwatches are included in this new law. Previously, the proposed rules said earbuds, fitness trackers, and smartwatches were too small for these rules. That seems to still be the case for the wearables, but earbuds have now been included in the list of products. Laptops are included here, but they won't need to change the charging standard by the 2024 deadline. As laptops have "different power characteristics," Saliba said they will get a 16-month extension so that "industries can align themselves with these requirements."
The new legislation also introduces a "harmonised fast-charging technology," which we currently know little about. We need to await more information directly from the EU on what this element of the legislation means. The bloc also wants electronics manufacturers to stop selling chargers in the box. This is something many manufacturers such as Samsung and Google have done already, but other manufacturers such as OnePlus still include them in the box.
There's lots more to come on this legislation on the common charger, and the next step will be agreement from the EU countries and the European Parliament. As it stands now, it seems likely this will become law and change consumer electronics over the next two years. Right now, it'll be interesting to see how manufacturers react to this latest development.