The United Kingdom looks at a future where devices have standardized charging ports. The European Commission said it would enforce a law that will force smartphone manufacturers and other electronic device companies to adopt a USB-C charging port.
The European Commission has called for a single mobile charging port to be introduced on phones by 2024. This measure will make it easier and faster for users to charge their devices without having multiple cords nearby at any given time.
Thierry Breton, the commissioner of the EU, wrote on Twitter, “We have a deal on the #CommonCharger!”
The law will help cut down on waste and make life easier for consumers who own multiple devices.
The recent announcement will no doubt be a major blow to Apple, which has been working hard on its own port charger for iPhones and other devices. However, in their newer devices like the iPad and MacBook, the company already adopts the USB-C port.
The company said after the announcement, “We share the European Commission’s commitment to protecting the environment and are already carbon neutral for all of our corporate emissions worldwide.”
The Apple management further said that they will always look for ways to allow “innovation” inside the company and that their focus is “care about customer experience.”
“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. We look forward to continued engagement with stakeholders to help find a solution that protects consumer interest, as well as the industry’s ability to innovate and bring exciting new technology to users,” Apple added.
The EU found in a study done in 2019 that over half the chargers sold to users in 2018 had micro-B ports, 29% for USB-C, and 21% accounted for Apple’s Lightning cord.
Source: CNBC
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