This will affect many companies, but most notably Apple which is famous for its tightly controlled closed systems including their Lightning charging ports
European Union lawmakers have reached a provisional agreement on legislation that will make it mandatory for all future smartphones sold in the EU — including Apple’s iPhone – to use a universal Type-C (aka USB-C) charger and charging port by fall 2024.
“Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe!” said the European Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba in a press statement. “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.”
This will apply not only on smartphones but on other electronic devices including tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers.
The plan, unveiled last year, was provisionally approved Tuesday and will save consumers an estimated 250 million euros ($267 million) each year according to the European Commission. The European Parliament and 27 EU countries need to sign off on the agreement.
When applied, EU consumers will have a choice of either buying a new device with or without an external power supply — and must be provided with clear information on the charging characteristics of new devices so they can easily tell whether their existing chargers are compatible or not.
This will affect many companies, but most notably Apple which is famous for its tightly controlled closed systems including their Lightning charging ports.
In September 2021, a spokesperson for Apple stated that the company was “concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it.”
However, Apple is currently testing future iPhone models with Type-C ports, and some Current Apple laptop models already use the USB-C charger.
