EU regulators have reached a final agreement that forces all smartphones, including the iPhone, to use the USB-C connector to be loaded. Apple will be forced to abandon its Lightning connector and adopt this new standard in its future mobile devices, since it will be mandatory “in the fall of 2024”.
The regulations also affects 15 other devices such as tablets (iPad included too), digital cameras, portable speakers, portable game consoles, headphones, laptops (previously not included), and e-book readers. In addition to the single charging standard, the EU has reached an agreement to “harmonize” fast charging standards.
Mobile phones, but beware, also laptops
The Committee for the Protection of the Market and Consumers (IMCO) of the European Parliament announced the agreement in a tweet today, and with him was confirmed the approval of a process what’s going on since 2014when it was proposed to go from the approximately 30 different chargers that existed for mobile phones to “mainly three”.
We have reached a deal on the common charger! 🔌👏
✔️mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras & more #USBtypeC
✔️harmonised fast-charging technology
✔️unbundling of sale of chargers from the sale of device🔴 Press conference at 12.30 CEST ➡️ https://t.co/TCBXxzIEdr pic.twitter.com/29JmeL0nxe
— IMCO Committee Press (@EP_SingleMarket) June 7, 2022
At the beginning of 2020 the European Parliament went further and voted in favor of impose a single connector to charge our mobiles. From the first moment, that connector seemed destined to be USB-C, which will now be the universal connector for a multitude of devices, except for those too small to integrate directly (activity monitors, smart watches or mini-headphones).
The process has never been to Apple’s liking, which has defended the use of its Lightning connector for years. It is true that the Cupertino company uses the USB connector on its computers and that it also used it on the recent iPad Air (2022), but has always resisted making that change on the iPhone.
As explained by those responsible for the European Parliament in a subsequent press conference streamedthe regulations try, among other things reduce the amount of electronic waste that are generated by the existence of several standards.
In fact, in the European Parliament they have also talked about the intention that the charger is no longer included with the devices: thanks to this regulation, the possibilities that users already have a compatible charger will clearly increase.
Today’s approval of the agreement by the European Parliament was crucial to implement the regulations. After the summer both the Parliament and the Council of the EU will have to ratify the agreement before it is published in the EU Official Journal.
From there it will start to apply after 24 months, which will make until fall 2024 do not take action definitively.
It is interesting to see that the list of devices that will adopt this unique charger has been expanded to 15 different devices and include laptops, which will also have to use that connector for charging. In this case, the manufacturers will have 40 months to adopt the regulation when it finally comes into action.
It is therefore likely that this year we will continue to see how the new iPhone or some iPad still have the Lightning port, but perhaps in 2023 or 2024 —analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that’s how i pointed it out Recently- let’s have the first iPhone to use the USB-C connector. It remains to be seen, however, if Apple ends up going to court to delay things further.
Image | Lucian Alexe
More information | European Parliament
