EU rules to force USB-C chargers for all phones

Demon_Skeith

Demon_Skeith

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The aim is to reduce waste by encouraging consumers to re-use existing chargers when buying a new device.

All smartphones sold in the EU must have USB-C chargers, the proposal said.

Apple has warned such a move would harm innovation.

The tech giant is the main manufacturer of smartphones using a custom charging port, as its iPhone series uses an Apple-made "Lightning" connector.

"We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world," the firm told the BBC.

It added that it aims to make every Apple device and usage carbon neutral by 2030.

Most Android phones come with USB micro-B charging ports, or have already moved to the more modern USB-C standard.

New models of the iPad and MacBook use USB-C charging ports, as do high-end phone models from popular Android manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei.
The changes would apply to the charging port on the device body, whereas the end of the cable connecting to a plug could be USB-C or USB-A.
Around half of chargers sold with mobile phones in the European Union in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB C connector and 21% a Lightning connector, a Commission impact assessment study in 2019 found.

The proposed rules will apply to:

  • smartphones
  • tablets
  • cameras
  • headphones
  • portable speakers
  • handheld video game consoles
Other products including earbuds, smart-watches and fitness trackers were not considered for technical reasons linked to size and use conditions.
The proposal also standardises fast charging speeds - meaning devices capable of fast charging will be charged at the same speeds.

more here
 
Most devices now have USB C but there are a few "cheap" devices (and obviously the Apple ones) that don't that make it really annoying. I'm all for something like this to force companies to implement USB-C for everything.
 
Demon_Skeith said:
There is like a hundred different power cords right now, we only need one going forward.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that some poorly made USB-C cords can break smartphones, so having only a few higher quality companies making USB-C cords can be a good.
 
I for one am for this 100%.

"We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it" <- ...yeah. that's what any scumbag wanting to reinvent the wheel and sell it would say.
 
That's interesting! I never really minded myself what cords my devices require. My husband is one of the types that prefer that all devices have USB-C. I wonder how well this will turn out and if the rest of the world would follow.
 
For me... all these different chargers are not needed. It can all be done with one type, but companies will like to make extra money with their own products that function the same, but work exclusively with their own products. It's all about greed. I agree that we shouldn't stick to USB-C for all eternity, obviously, but there should be a more unified standard that can get upgraded across the board when it is warranted. All these corporations are saying with their blablabla is basically "screw our customers, we want more money, so they should pay more than they should have to for out charging products". There's a whole wormhole here I'm not even gonna start with, because I won't be done writing until I've written a master thesis about it..
 
TheFjordFox said:
For me... all these different chargers are not needed. It can all be done with one type, but companies will like to make extra money with their own products that function the same, but work exclusively with their own products. It's all about greed. I agree that we shouldn't stick to USB-C for all eternity, obviously, but there should be a more unified standard that can get upgraded across the board when it is warranted. All these corporations are saying with their blablabla is basically "screw our customers, we want more money, so they should pay more than they should have to for out charging products". There's a whole wormhole here I'm not even gonna start with, because I won't be done writing until I've written a master thesis about it..
Click to expand...

lol, love to read that thesis on it :grin:
 
Demon_Skeith said:
Apple has warned such a move would harm innovation.
Click to expand...
TheFjordFox said:
"We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it" <- ...yeah. that's what any scumbag wanting to reinvent the wheel and sell it would say.
Click to expand...
I might have known that Apple would argue against such a move.. :smirk:

Apple need to get with the times, and start playing nice with other companies for true innovation through collaboration.
 
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