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European lawmakers on Tuesday approved the text of a proposed European Union law that would mandate a standardized type of charger for smartphones, tablet PCs and cameras sold within the bloc by 2024, in a blow to US company Apple.
Apple will have to change the design of the charger on iPhones sold in Europe.
The political intervention, which the European Commission said would make life easier for consumers and save them money, came following companies failed to find a common solution.
Brussels has been pushing for a standard portable charger for more than a decade, prompted by complaints from users of iPhones and Android devices regarding having to switch between different chargers for their devices.
iPhones are charged with a Lightning cable, while Android devices use USB-C (USB-C) connectors.
“By the fall of 2024, USB-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the European Union,” the European Parliament said in a statement.
The European Union’s Internal Market Commissioner, Thierry Breton, said the deal would save regarding 250 million euros to consumers.
“This will also allow new technologies, such as wireless charging, to emerge and evolve without allowing innovation to become a source of market segmentation and consumer annoyance,” he said.
Apple, which warned the proposal would harm innovation and create mountains of e-waste, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We are proud that the proposal included laptops, e-readers, earphones, keyboards, computer mice and portable navigation devices,” said Representative Alex Agios Saliba, who led the debate on the proposal in Parliament.
Laptops must comply with the legislation within 40 months of its entry into force.
In the future, EU executives will have the ability to coordinate wireless charging systems.
The fact that the deal also covers e-readers, earphones and other technologies will affect Samsung, Huawei, and other device makers.
picture released, APPLE
Apple will have to change the charging pattern on iPhones sold in Europe
Lawmakers approved the standardized charger on a proposal made by the European Union’s Executive Committee – the European Commission – last September, but it came more than a decade following the European Parliament first pushed for it.
The decision will be formally ratified by the European Parliament and EU member states later this year, before it enters into force.
The European Union includes 27 countries with a population of regarding 450 million, and some of the world’s richest consumers, and the introduction of USB-C as a standard charging device might affect the entire global market.
