Europe may require all phone manufacturers to use USB-C charging | TechTree.com

Europe may require all phone manufacturers to use USB-C charging

USB-C to become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles.

 

Europe may soon require all manufacturers to use USB-C charging for all electronic devices and phones, according to a new EU Commission ruling. It aims to reduce e-waste and "consumer inconvenience" caused by incompatible chargers still in use. Manufacturers will also have to unbundle the sale of chargers with electronic devices, which will allow consumers to purchase new electronics without a charger. This lowers the number of unwanted and unused chargers. Reducing production and disposal of new chargers is estimated to reduce annual electronic waste by nearly a thousand tonnes.

"With today's proposal... USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles," according to the report. 

The average person owns around three mobile phone chargers, of which they use two regularly. The EU hopes to change that situation, according to a statement by Executive Vice President of the European CommissionMargrethe Vestager:

“European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions.”

When a common charger was first voted on by the EU last year, Apple complained that the proposal would "stifle innovation," and its position is unchanged. “We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world.”

Since the launch of the iPhone 12, however, Apple has stopped including chargers in the box, something it said would save 861,000 tons of zinc, copper and tin. Apple itself uses USB-C charging on its latest Mac laptops and certain iPad models, since that standard supports higher voltage charging required for larger devices.

The EU throws away 12,000 tons of chargers each year, some unused, and consumers spend around 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) on standalone chargers not included with devices. The law is still in the proposal stages and needs to be passed by governments and EU lawmakers, so it could come into force after two years.


TAGS: USB-C charging, CDLA Standard USB Type C

 
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