Europe is switching to a single charging port for all electronic gadgets
As reported by BBC, representatives of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe have preliminarily agreed on a directive on radio equipment. In practice, this means that the EU has moved one step closer to introducing a single standard for charging ports for laptops, phones, tablets and other devices. The new standard is to be introduced by autumn 2024.
Standardizing charging ports has been discussed in Europe for a long time. Regulators believe this will help significantly reduce the amount of electronic waste.
The strongest opposition to this initiative came from American Apple, which uses the Lightning port in its devices and whose chargers for iPhones cost more than most Type-C chargers. The American company has not yet been able to comment on the agreement between European institutions. Previously, Apple said that switching to a single port would "stifle innovation."
The new rule applies to the following devices: mobile phones, tablets, headphones, portable gaming devices, portable speakers. Laptops will also be affected, but their manufacturers will be given 40 months to adapt production after the new rules come into force. The smallest devices, such as watches or FitBit bracelets, will be exempt.
Europe also wants to standardize charging speed so that devices can charge quickly with any cable. In addition, the document should give buyers the right to choose whether to buy a device with or without a charger.
"This law is part of the European Union's joint efforts to make products better meet the principles of sustainable development, reduce electronic waste and make life easier for consumers," the European Parliament said in a statement. According to parliamentarians, this will help consumers save up to 250 million euros per year on the purchase of chargers, and the volume of waste will be reduced by 11 thousand tons per year.