EU Makes it Mandatory For All Phones to Have USB-C

The European Union proposed late last year that USB-C ports be made universal charging ports for all smartphones and digital devices. We also learned that the EU will meet to discuss the future of this proposal. As it turns out, the meeting took place today, and the authorities came to an agreement to require USB-C ports on all smartphones sold in the EU, including Apple's iPhones. Take a look at the details down below!

Following discussions among EU bodies, the European Union has unified USB Type-C. The bill had been in the works for more than a decade. Check out the official tweet from the European Parliament, which is attached below.

We have reached a deal on the common charger! 🔌👏

✔️mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras & more #USBtypeC
✔️harmonised fast-charging technology
✔️unbundling of sale of chargers from the sale of device

🔴 Press conference at 12.30 CEST ➡️ https://t.co/TCBXxzIEdr pic.twitter.com/29JmeL0nxe

— IMCO Committee Press (@EP_SingleMarket) June 7, 2022

Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe! European consumers were frustrated long with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics,” Alex Agius Saliba, the European Parliament’s reporter, said in a press release. 

This is an interesting proposal that would require companies to include a USB-C port on all electronic devices sold in the EU by the fall of 2024, including smartphones, digital tablets, cameras, headphones, and handheld video game consoles. The EU is attempting to reduce e-waste in the environment by implementing a "common charger" for all electronic devices. It will also make consumers' lives easier by eliminating the need to carry multiple charging cables for various devices. People will be able to save an additional 250 Million Euros per year as a result of this. 

Will Apple have USB-C iPhones?

It also means that, whether Apple likes it or not, its iPhone models that still use the aging Lightning port for wired charging and data transfer will have to switch to USB-C. While Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculates that the company will finally do the deed next year, we remain skeptical. Currently, the only iPhone that supports USB-C is a hardware engineer's DIY project that became one of the most expensive iPhones on eBay earlier this year.

Apple, on the other hand, has a big market in Europe. While Apple is said to have sold 241 million iPhones worldwide in 2021, 56 million of those were sold in Europe. As a result, if Apple decides to keep the Lightning port on its iPhones, it will be interesting to see how it responds to this legislation. However, because this agreement only covers wired charging,  Apple may introduce a portless iPhone to avoid using USB-C for charging.

When asked if the legislation is specially targeted at Apple, the commissioner of the EU’s internal market, Thierry Breton said that it is not like that. 

“The rule applies to all and sundry. It’s not adopted against anybody. We’re working for the consumers, not the companies, and we have to give these companies rules; rules that are clear in order to enter the internal market,” Breton further added.

OEMs are now required to provide clear information on the charging characteristics of new devices, according to reports. Furthermore, wireless charging is getting more and more widespread and is a possible candidate for replacing the Lightning Port on iPhones.