Bye-bye lightning charger
The European Union has proposed that all phones work with the same charger, including the iPhone, which is notoriously different from other branded charging devices.
The EU is now suggesting that the USB-C charger should be standard across all smart devices. This does include everything – including tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, handheld consoles and even smartwatches – reports the Independent.
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president for a Europe fit for the digital age at the European Commission, said that the decision comes after tech companies failed to address the situation themselves.
“European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers,” she said in a statement.
Part of the suggestion is to separate the sale of charger and device. This is thought to reduce the amount of waste, as let’s be honest, we all have draws full of random wires for unknown electrical devices.
“We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions; now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions,” Vestager continued.
The biggest issue comes with Apple, whose lightning ports have become standard across all of their devices. The company has reportedly argued that regulators should focus on the plugs not the ports – but the EU looks to be jumping straight to the end of the cable.
Should the new proposal be moved forward, the European Parliament and Council will have to approve the legislation and should it pass, companies will have 24 months to alter their products.
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