Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024

One charger to rule them all? EU announces plan to impose universal phone cable in blow to Apple

One charger to rule them all? EU announces plan to impose universal phone cable in blow to Apple

In a setback for Apple, the European Union has announced plans to standardize chargers for smartphones and other small electronic devices, giving manufacturers a two-year transition period in which to fall in line.
Phones are currently served by three main chargers; Apple’s ‘Lightning’ connector, USB micro-B ports widely used on Android mobile phones, and the modern USB-C ones that the EU’s proposal favors.

Implementing a universal charging cable would combat the problem of electronic waste, allowing people to use their existing chargers when changing to a new device, the European Commission argued.

“European consumers have been frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers,” EU Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

Apple – whose products typically use custom charging ports – has long countered that such mandates would impede innovation and lead to even more pollution. The tech giant, however, has already switched to USB-C charging ports on newer models of its iPad and laptop computers.

“Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” Apple responded.

The EU has pushed back on that argument, however. “It is not against innovation. It is for European consumers, it is not against anyone,” Thierry Breton, the internal market commissioner, said.

According to an EC impact study from 2019, about half of the chargers sold with mobile phones across the EU in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB-C connector, with the Lightning connector accounting for 21%.

The proposed rules will apply to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles, while other products like earbuds, smartwatches and fitness trackers were reportedly not considered due to technical reasons.

The proposal will also cover fast-charging speeds, meaning that manufacturers offering rapid charging features on their products will be required to ensure that battery power recovery rates remain uniform across devices.

For over a decade, the EC has had a voluntary agreement regarding cables in place with manufacturers, but says the current situation is too “inconvenient” as European consumers spend roughly €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) yearly on standalone chargers that are not bundled with their 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,” Vestager said.

The proposal still needs to be debated by the European Parliament and member states before coming into effect, giving companies “ample time” to comply with the new rules. But Apple said the 24-month transition period could affect current sales.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×