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The European Parliament passed a new law on October 4. Starting from the end of 2024, all smartphones, tablets, and camera charging connectors in the European Union will adopt the Type C specification uniformly, setting a global precedent and is expected to have the greatest impact on iPhone maker Apple.
Agence France-Presse reported that the European Parliament (European Parliament) passed the bill with 602 votes in favor and 13 votes against, so that Type C (USB-C), which has been adopted by many manufacturers, will become the charging connector for mobile electronic devices in the European Union (EU). A single spec and will force Apple’s iPhone to ditch the outdated, exclusive Lightning charging connector.
As for notebook computers, a longer buffer period will be obtained, and the Type C specification will be required to be uniformly adopted for charging connectors from the beginning of 2026.
EU lawmakers said that making the specifications of charging connectors uniform will make life easier for Europeans, reduce a large number of outdated chargers, and allow consumers to pay less.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s executive commissioner in charge of market competition, said that the EU estimates that the new rules will save the EU as a whole at least 200 million euros a year, and it will also reduce the EU’s annual e-waste by more than 1,000 metric tons. .
The EU action is expected to have knock-on effects around the world. The 27-nation European Union has a population of 450 million and occupies the world’s wealthiest consumer class, so regulatory changes in the EU tend to affect global industry practices, commonly known as the “Brussels effect.”
Alex Agius Saliba from Malta, the European Parliament’s lead member for legislation, said: “Today is a great day for consumers and a great day for our environment. Experience After more than 10 years, a single charging connector format for various electronic devices is finally happening in Europe, and we hope this will inspire the rest of the world as well.”
Apple’s smartphone sales are second in the world, behind only Samsung. And while Apple’s iPad tablets and Mac laptops already use Type C connectors, it resists letting the iPhone drop the Lightning connector, saying it would be disproportionate and would stifle innovation.