The EU has confirmed: All mobile phones are required to use Type C interface, Apple is no exception!

Source: Content compiled by Conductor Industry Observer (ID: icbank) from theverge , thank you.

EU lawmakers have reached agreement on legislation that will force all future smartphones sold in the EU, including Apple's iPhone, to come with a universal USB-C port for wired charging by fall 2024. The rule will also apply to other electronic devices including tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers. Laptops will also have to comply with the rule at a later date.

The legislation has been in the works for more than a decade, but an agreement was finally reached on its scope this morning after negotiations between different EU institutions.

"Today, we are making the universal charger a reality in Europe!" said Alex Agius Saliba, rapporteur of the European Parliament, in a press statement. "European consumers have long been frustrated by the multiple chargers that pile up with each new device. Now, they will be able to use one charger for all their portable electronic devices." The legislation also includes provisions designed to address future wireless chargers and to harmonize fast charging standards.

The legislation still needs to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council later this year, but this seems to be a formality. The European Parliament made it clear in a press release that the law will be implemented by "fall 2024." By this date, all devices covered by the law and sold in the EU must use USB-C for wired charging.

The introduction of a "universal charger" is an attempt by the European Union to both reduce e-waste and make life easier for consumers. Lawmakers hope that in the future, mobile phones and similar gadgets will not need to come with a charger in the box because buyers will already have the right accessories at home. The EU estimates that the legislation could save consumers €250 million in "unnecessary charger purchases" each year and reduce e-waste by around 11,000 tons per year.

The agreement will have the biggest impact on Apple, the only major smartphone manufacturer that still uses a proprietary port instead of USB-C. In 2021, Apple sold 241 million iPhones worldwide, including about 56 million in Europe.

When asked at a press conference whether the EU was targeting Apple specifically, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said it was not. "This rule applies to everyone. It's not targeted at anyone," Breton said. "We work for consumers, not companies, and we have to give these companies the rules; the rules for entering the internal market are clear."

Rapporteur Saliba added: "Two years from now, if Apple wants to sell their products in my internal market, they must follow our rules and their devices must be USB-C."

However, the EU's press release states that the new regulations apply to devices that are "chargeable with a wired cable." This means that Apple may be able to avoid adding USB-C to its devices (as previously rumored) by creating a phone that only charges wirelessly.

However, recent reports have claimed that the company is internally testing iPhones with USB-C, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple could make the switch as early as next year. Apple already uses the USB-C standard for laptops and some tablets. The

European Commission announced its current plans for this legislation last September, but the EU's efforts to force manufacturers to use a common charging standard date back more than a decade. In the years since, Android manufacturers have moved to micro USB and USB-C as common charging standards, while Apple has switched from offering phones with a proprietary 30-pin connector to Lightning.

Apple has already opposed the EU's attempts to force USB-C on its devices. "We remain concerned that strict regulation that forces only one type of connector will stifle rather than encourage innovation, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world," a spokesman told Reuters last year. There are also arguments that a mandatory switch to USB-C would create e-waste rather than reduce it because it would make the existing ecosystem of Lightning accessories redundant.

Critics say the new legislation will stifle innovation by curbing the incentive for manufacturers to develop improved charging standards. The EU denies this is the case and says it will update the legislation as new technologies develop.

"Don't think we're set in stone for the next 10 years," Breton said at a press conference. "We have a standard that's being developed and we have a dedicated team that will be watching it all very closely and adjusting it over time. We will evolve."

One aspect of the law that remains unresolved, though, is the charging standard for laptops. While phone makers will have 24 months to adjust their devices after the legislation is passed this summer, for laptop makers the period is longer: 40 months. EU lawmakers say this is due to the difficulty of creating a standard charger that works with laptops with different power requirements.

"We have no technical certainty about the standards that can be met for laptops running between 100 and 240 watts," said rapporteur Saliba. "Our line of reasoning is to extend the deadline for laptops to develop clear standards." ★ Click on [Read original text] at the end of the article to view the original link to this article!