The EU Is Making USB-C Mandatory For All Phones Within The Next Couple Of Years

The European Union has finally begun to make moves to standardize all technological devices. USB-C ports will now be the norm for all devices being sold in the European market, as a tentative agreement had been reached by legislators. It is expected that the law will be passed by the European Parliament and European council later this year. 

The rule will include all manufacturers, including Apple. The Cupertino tech giant has always stood firm about retaining the Lightning port in its iPhones, even if all its other devices have made the jump over to USB-C.

Smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones, gaming consoles, portable speakers, and just about everything else will need to be homogenized by fall 2024, though devices that rely solely on wireless charging will not be subjected to the ruling.

The decision had been in the works for over a decade, and was being seriously pushed by legislators. The law will be issued to make life easier for consumers as having everything work together is only sensible, stated the EU's Commissioner for Internal Markets, Thierry Brenton.

This regulation could also reduce e-waste, as it will downsize the mountain of wires and chargers that would occasionally need to be thrown out and replaced.  

The European Council has stated that €250 million (USD $312 million) has been wasted on chargers each year. With an estimated 11,000 tonnes of e-waste caused by these chargers, the EU is seeking to make necessary environmental efforts to eliminate the burden of having multiple chargers.  

[via Forbes and CNBC, Photo 121486664 © Kontrymphoto | Dreamstime.com]