Small electronic equipment must all have the same type of USB-C connection.
Will the universal charger, a veritable Arlesian of consumer electronics, become a reality? On Tuesday, the Parliament and the European Council reached a provisional agreement on the subject. In fall 2024, the USB-C connector will become the common charging port for all smartphones, tablets, video game consoles, portable speakers, headphones and earphones. Laptops will also have to comply with this rule by 2026.
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A little more patience, and Europe will finally put an end to the nightmare of finding a cable compatible with your phone. The text still needs to be formally approved, which should be done in the fall.
The editors of the text are based on the need to achieve savings, both for consumers and for the planet. In a renewal market, it is clear that the majority of buyers of a new device already have the equipment necessary to recharge it. Thus the European Parliament estimates that consumers will saveup to 250 million euros per year on unnecessary charger purchases “, while having a positive impact on the environment, by reducing the production of these cables. “Discarded and unused chargers account for approximately 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year ».
Arm wrestling with Apple
Well aware that the type of connector is not everything, the legislator also aims to harmonize the charging speed. This means that all devices can be charged at the same speed. A stone in the garden of manufacturers who, like Nintendo, have already equipped their terminals with USB-C, but with specificities such that only their chargers work. Thus, it should be possible to recharge a Switch console with any cable and no longer only with those of the Japanese brand.
If Apple wants to market its products in Europe, it will have to respect our rules
Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market
But it is above all Apple which is in the crosshairs of Europe. The iPhone maker has certainly equipped its most recent iPads and Macs with USB-C, but not its phones, headsets or wireless earphone boxes. Apple has always put forward “the freedom to innovate” to favor its Lightning system, showing a great capacity to resist European will. Brussels “will impose significant losses on manufacturers, reduce consumer choice and generate additional e-waste,” the brand reiterated. Annoyed by the American, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, did not mince his words: “If Apple wants to market its products in Europe, it will have to respect our rules. »
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Especially since its scope can be extended. The adopted textprepare for the future“, adds its rapporteur, Alex Agius Saliba. It can be adapted to wireless chargers. Indeed, more and more devices use this technology. It could even quickly become the predominant solution. However, several standards coexist, incompatible with each other. Europe has decided to take the lead, providing that regulations can be applied on the subject, without going through the European Parliament and Council. A way to learn from the past.
Indeed, the theme of the universal charger is a well-known refrain in Brussels. European authorities have been working on it since 2009! Thirteen years ago, they sought to eradicate the proliferation of charger types, almost as varied as the number of mobile phone models in circulation. A first agreement, valid until 2014, highlighted the USB 2.0 port. Discussions then resumed to reach a kind of status quo on USB-C, while maintaining “proprietary solutions“. A new step was taken on Tuesday. Without closing the soap opera.
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