Soon you will be able to boost your iPhone battery using your Android charger. That’s if you live in the European Union.
Last Tuesday the European Parliament
approved new rules to introduce a single
charging port for mobile phones, tablets and cameras by 2024.
EU lawmaker Alex Agius
Saliba said: “The simplest solutions are often the best and most practical ones
and this simple solution each year will save thousands of tons of electronic
waste, facilitate the re-use of old electronics, better consumer convenience,
reduce unnecessary costs and also help to save millions of euros.”
The new rules - which are a
world first - will make USB-C connectors used by Android-based devices the
standard across the 27-nation bloc.
Old chargers will not be
outlawed, however, so that customers can continue to use existing models.
But it’s not good news for
everyone.
Apple will now have to
change its charging port for iPhones and other devices.
Since the deal also covers
e-readers, ear buds and other technologies, it will also have an impact on
Samsung, Huawei and other device makers.
The change will apply to
laptops in 2026.
The European Commission estimates
that a single charger rule will save $250 million for consumers.
The large size of the EU
market will lead to changes in other countries.
Apple believes the proposal will hurt innovation and create waste.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said the vote made it “inevitable” that the iPhone 15, expected in 2023, will have a USB-C port.
“This is a victory for common sense. Although Apple has a huge installed base of lightning cable-powered devices, the ubiquity of USB-C across all consumer electronics products means that harmonising on USB-C makes perfect sense.”
Wood added that he expected Apple to adopt the USB-C port in the UK and globally.
EU lawmakers supported the
reform with a large majority, with 602 votes in favour and only 13 against.
Adapted from The Guardian
