The USB-C port has for some time become the standard for virtually all smartphones of the market except Apple and its iPhone. A committee of members of European Parliament (MEP) backed a proposal that would force all smartphone makers to offer charging USB-C.
In order to reduce the carbon footprint on the planet, a few years ago the USB port became the standard for almost all smartphone manufacturers. It has indeed been 10 years now that almost all smartphone manufacturers have abandoned their proprietary charging port for USB. And for a few years now, the USB-C port has been the benchmark.
The European Union now wants to impose this standard as the only charging solution for smartphones. A measure that would hurt Apple. Indeed, to be different from the others and especially to make a little more profit in sales of products and licenses, Apple uses the Lightning port to charge its iPhone.
USB-C, the smartphone standard for the EU.
The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee voted in favor of the floating position on common charger legislation, which will also apply to other small and medium-sized electronic devices.
This includes tablets, digital cameras, headphones, rechargeable portable speakers and portable gaming devices. That wouldn’t apply to smartwatches, health trackers, and other electronics deemed too small to sport a USB-C port.
It must be said that the EU has wanted to find a way to standardize the standard for several years now. This is in particular to reduce the number of chargers lying around in drawers or thrown away because they have become obsolete.
one port, less charger?
With this regulation, people can switch smartphones without worrying regarding having the right charger. We might also reduce the number of chargers in circulation by using a single charger for several smartphones. To this end, Apple recently announced that it would no longer sell its charger with the iPhone.
Still, it will take some time before the law is finally passed by the European Commission.
