Time is running out for Apple: EU will require USB-C on all devices from 2024
An end to the proliferation of chargers and the Lightning plug?
The EU has concluded the agreements required to set a universal wired charging standard for Europe, which will be USB-C and will apply to any standard personal electronics standard, starting in the fall of 2024
Niv Lillian
07/06/2022
Tuesday, 07 June 2022, 18:32 Updated: 20:35
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IPhone (Photo: ShutterStock)
European lawmakers have agreed on legislation that would stipulate that all smartphones sold in the EU starting in the fall of 2024, including the iPhone, will be equipped with a USB-C socket as a universal standard.
It will also be valid for any other common gadget, including tablets, cameras, headphones, portable consoles and e-book readers.
The obligation on laptops will come at a later date (what's more, it already exists de facto today).
The legislation in question has been in development for over a decade (the author of these lines reported on it even then), but the final agreement reached maturity only this morning (Tuesday), following agreements between the relevant bodies in the union.
"Today we have made uniform cargo a reality in Europe!"
European Parliament spokesman Alex Agios announced at a press conference.
"European consumers have been frustrated by the multiplicity of charges they have accumulated with each new device, and now they can use one charger for all their mobile electronic devices."
The legislation, by the way, also regulates a uniform standard for future wireless charging,
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USB-C connection (Photo: ShutterStock)
Whoever this is not good news for, is Apple, which for years has insisted on preserving its proprietary plug, the Lightning, thus forcing its users to purchase compatible cables and chargers from its products.
It should be noted that the Lightning plug is actually USB-C for everything except its physical shape.
Now the EU has put an end to Apple's non-consumer but lucrative move, which will require it to change the sockets in its devices at least for the European market (and already on the way, for the whole world).
Legislation is still pending in the European Parliament and Council of Europe later this year, but given the long process, it seems to be a purely formal matter.
The European Parliament noted that the law will enter into force in autumn 2024. Then, all devices sold in Europe will be required to use the standard and of course a USB-C socket and plug for wired charging.
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