EU calls for single plug for phones
Improved compatibility aimed at limiting waste
LONDON – The European Union unveiled plans Thursday to require smartphone makers to adopt a single charging method for mobile devices.
The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, proposed legislation that would mandate USB-C cables for charging, technology that many device makers have already adopted.
The main holdout is Apple, which said it was concerned the new rules would limit innovation, and that could hurt consumers. Apple’s iphones come with the company’s own Lightning charging port, though the newest models come with cables that can be plugged into a USB-C socket.
The push by the EU will certainly be cheered by the millions of people who have rummaged through a drawer full of cables for the right charger. But the EU also wants to cut down on the 11,000 metric tons of electronic waste thrown out every year by Europeans.
The commission said the typical person living in the EU owns at least three chargers, and use two regularly, but 38% of people report not being able to charge their phones at least once because they couldn’t find a compatible charger. Some 420 million mobile phones or portable electronic devices were sold in the EU last year.
The new rules also call for standardizing fast charging technology and giving consumers the right to choose whether to buy new devices with or without a charger, which the EU estimates will save consumers $293 million a year.
After attempting for more than a decade to cajole the industry into adopting a common standard – efforts that whittled dozens of different charging plugs down to a handful – the EU’S executive Commission is pushing the issue.
Companies will get two years to adapt to the new rules once they take effect.