The unique charger will be a reality in the European Union in 2024. The European Parliament thus resolves one of the most demanded complaints by users and will oblige Apple to change the charging port of its devices.
Goodbye to a charger for every new device in the homes of the European Union. The European Parliament has definitively approved that before the end of 2024 all devices sold must use the same type of charger. Europe thus puts an end to one of the complaints most demanded by users and for which the European Union has been working for more than ten years, despite the opposition of large technology companies.
The USB type C will become the common charging port for all phones, tablets, digital cameras, portable consoles, wireless headphones, headsets, speakers, e-books, keyboards, mice and portable navigation systems in the EU. In 2026, the obligation will extend to portable computers.
But the law that includes the obligation of a unique charger in European territory will not affect all technological companies equally, so its processing has had the rejection of the giant Apple, which will be forced to change its Lightning connectors of the iPhones and Ipad. Those who will not be affected will be the Android devices that have been using this type of connection on their devices for some time.
The objective of the measure is not only to eliminate the accumulation of an average of four chargers per person, but it will help to end the waste they generate. And it is estimated that discarded and unused chargers represent around 11,000 tons of electronic waste that accumulates each year.
These new obligations, which will lead to greater reuse of chargers, will help consumers save up to 250 million euros a year in charger purchases. In addition, the new regulation establishes that the devices must come with explanatory labels on their charging characteristics, to allow consumers to easily check if the chargers they already have are compatible and decide if, when acquiring a new product, they want a charger or not.
According to a study carried out by the European Commission in 2019, half of the chargers sold with mobile phones had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB-C connector and 21% had a Lightning connector, which generated unnecessary purchases and waste that could be avoided.