EU Pushes Ahead With Universal Charger Law So We Won’t Have To Replace Cables
Image via Shutterstock
A law by the European Commission to regulate device charging cables has been in the works for more than a decade now, but it appears that this may come to be a reality soon.
It has been reported by Reuters that there are plans to introduce a legislative proposal to ensure that all devices in the EU will be able to utilize a common charger. And this could come as soon as, well, today: September 23.
Lawmakers feel that having a standard charger would be not only more convenient for its users, but also better for the environment as there’s less need to discard or buy new ones.
Apple has famously argued against this, claiming that putting a restriction on the type of charger devices use will hinder innovation. It also says that it will actually create more waste since users will have to scramble to change their existing chargers if they don’t already have alternatives.
The Commission has also expressed interest in separating the sale of chargers and related hardware from devices.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed that the type of charging port will be the “harmonized” one the EU chooses to implement, it’s looking likely to be USB-C as it’s more common across multiple brands of devices.
Reuters also reports that half the chargers sold with mobile phones in 2018 came with a USB micro-B connector. 29% had a USB-C connector, and 21% had Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector.
As of latest designs, some Apple products also have the USB-C port, so the switchover isn’t impossible.
[via AppleInsider, image via Shutterstock]
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