Are we coming to the end of the line for that drawer full of tangled charger cables? What does the EU’s new ruling on mandatory USB C cables mean for you?
By the autumn of 2024, all smartphones, and many other smart devices, sold in the EU must be fitted with a universal USB C port for wire–charging. We like to keep abreast of changes, so we take a look at the implications of the new rules.
After 10 years of wrangling, a deal has finally been brokered by the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, to reduce proprietorial wire-charging technology, but it won’t pass into law until approved by the EU Parliament, probably later this year.
In an EU press statement on 7th June, EU parliamentarian Alex Agius Saliba said: “European consumers were frustrated with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics.”
The move is driven in part by the EU’s desire for standardisation and it will certainly make life easier, and a little cheaper, for consumers. It estimates that standardising charging cables could save the European consumer 250 million euros a year.
They will be able to use one charger for a host of different devices (and not just mobile phones). And they won’t be forced to buy a new charger every time they replace a new phone if they already have the right accessory at home.
The rule also has environmental gains as it could cut down on waste from manufacturing unnecessary cables by as much as 11,000 tonnes a year. However, during the interim it would make many cables, currently in use, obsolete in the future.
While Android phones have been moving towards a more common approach, Apple has pushed back against standardisation, as it tends to do with any legislation it feels limits its freedom.
Its current Lightning charging port would be caught out by the rules, but the company’s ongoing development of wireless charging technology for iPhones may mean that ultimately, it won’t be affected by any new restrictions.
Mr Saliba said, “If Apple wants to market their products, sell their products within our internal market, they have to abide by our rules….this is a rule that will apply to everyone.”
Although Apple has a track record of clashing with the EU over rules, the company may already be developing USB C technology for its future products in anticipation of avoiding an unnecessary battle.
The new rules are likely to cover a wide range of devices:
Accessories, including keyboards, mice, headphones, headsets and portable speakers, will also be affected.
Standardising laptop chargers is likely to take more time to develop because of the difficulty in creating a standard charger that works for different laptops that have a wider variation of power inputs.
New electronic devices are always coming onto the market, such as fitness monitors, so it remains to be seen whether these will be swept up in the same regulations or whether the EU will be able to keep up with developments.
Here’s where things get complicated. The UK Government has said it doesn’t intend to follow the EU so Apple can still sell products with its Lightning charger on the British mainland. However, Northern Ireland will still have to follow EU rules, as things currently stand.
But for simplicity’s sake, Apple may decide to adopt the USB C charger for products sold in all European countries, whether EU or not.
Not too much; of course, we can all continue to use our old chargers, whether at home or travelling and working in the EU, but you may have to buy a new one if you replace a device with a new, EU-standardised model.
And if you do take a device abroad without a USB C port, make sure you take your own charger with you, because you won’t find a compatible charger after 2024.
At Syn-Star we like to keep up to date with developments, particularly new regulations that could affect your IT or telecoms equipment.
Our team at Syn-Star offers specialist advice on your telecoms needs, the best and most cost-effective solutions for your operation. We partner our customers to help them develop and implement an integrated IT strategy that serves them well, both now and in the future.
For more information about how we can help you get more from your IT and telecoms, contact Syn-Star today.
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