‘EC wants a USB-C charger for all portable electronic devices by 2024’

The European Commission wants phones, tablets, speakers and other rechargeable devices to all use a charger with a USB-C connection by 2024, Reuters writes. The Commission would present the still confidential proposal on Thursday.

According to an anonymous source who spoke to Reuters, the Commission wants the sale of chargers to be decoupled from the sale of devices. The Commission would find a universal charger more convenient for consumers and better for the environment. USB-C would have been chosen because, according to the Commission, it would be technologically the best.

The EC has been trying for some time to realize a standard charger for all portable electronic devices. Eleven years ago, phone makers signed a European memorandum of understanding promising to switch to a standard charger on a voluntary basis. The Commission would not be satisfied with the result and would therefore like to make it mandatory through a law.

Many rechargeable devices already use a USB-C connection, but Apple, among others, still equips its iPhones with their own Lightning cable and connection, even though the company has already switched to USB-C with other devices. If this bill passes, it would mean that Apple will have to replace the Lightning charger with USB-C before 2024. Previously, Apple would not have intended to, because it would lead to a loss of revenue. Incidentally, the company is also increasingly focusing on wireless charging, which means that in the future it may also be possible that the iPhone will no longer receive a charging port at all.