EU Parliament Officially Votes To Get Apple To Switch To USB-C

It’s officially happened: The European Parliament has voted for a move that will force technology giants—including Apple—to adapt their myriad products to a standard USB-C charger.

602 lawmakers voted rather unanimously for the standardization, with 13 against the plan and eight abstaining from voting altogether. It’s expected the new legislation will be formally written into law by early next year. 

As the Parliament explained, having different chargers for different devices is not only an inconvenience, but it also generates unnecessary e-waste as our planet already battles pollution and climate change. 

As such, by the end of 2024, gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, and more will have to adopt the common USB-C charging standard.

Then, come Spring 2026, the rule will be extended to laptops, officially allowing consumers to use one single charger for an entire range of small and medium-sized electronic devices. 

In addition, all devices supporting fast charging will be tweaked to maintain the same charging speed, so that these gadgets can get juiced up at the same speed with any compatible charger. 

This ruling is expected to save 11,000 tonnes of chargers from being disposed of each year, and will save consumers an estimated €250 million (US$249 million) in just a single year. 

“The common charger will finally become a reality in Europe. We have waited more than ten years for these rules, but we can finally leave the current plethora of chargers in the past,” says the Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba. 

“This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone—from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment.”

[via Interesting Engineering and European Parliament, cover image via Lakshmiprasad S | Dreamstime.com]