USB-C will be mandatory for phones sold in the EU ‘by autumn 2024’

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement on legislation that will force all future smartphones sold in the EU to have the universalusb-c port for wired charging by fall 2024. The rule applies to tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers. The rule will apply to laptops at a later time.

The legislation has been in the works for more than a decade, but an agreement on its scope was reached this morning.

Alex Agius Saliba, the European Parliament's rapporteur, said in a press statement that the common charge has become a reality in Europe. Consumers in Europe were frustrated with the number of charging points for their devices. They will be able to use a single charge for their electronics. There are provisions designed to address wireless charging in the future.

The legislation needs to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council later this year, but it seems like it will be done. The law will be in place by autumn 2024 according to the press release. All devices that are covered by the law and sold in the EU will have to use theusb-c for wired charging by this date

The EU wants to cut down on e-waste and make life easier for consumers by introducing a common charge. Lawmakers hope that in the future, phones and similar gadgets won't need to come with a chargers in the box, as buyers will already have the appropriate accessories at home According to the EU, the legislation could save consumers 250 million euros a year on unneeded purchases and cut down on e-waste.

Apple is the only major phone manufacturer that still uses a proprietary port instead of the standard one. 56 million were sold in Europe, and 241 million were sold around the world.

The commissioner for the EU's internal market denied that the EU was specifically targeting Apple. Everyone is subject to the rule. It's not used against anyone. Rules that are clear in order to enter the internal market are what we need to give these companies.

In two years, if Apple wants to sell their products in our internal market, they have to abide by our rules, and their device will have to beusb-c

The new legislation applies to devices that are rechargeable via a wired cable according to the EU. It's possible that Apple will be able to create a phone that doesn't charge with the help of this new information. According to recent reports, the company is testing an internal version of the phone, and an Apple analyst says the company could make the switch as early as next year. Apple uses the standard on some of its products.

The EU has been trying to force manufacturers to use a common charging standard for a decade. In the years since, Apple has gone from offering phones with its proprietary 30-pin connection to the Lightning standard, while Android manufacturers have switched to micro-usb and thenusb-c as the charging standard.

Apple is against the EU's attempts to make its devices compatible with theusb-c standard. 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, according to a spokesman. It is argued that forcing a switch to USB-C would make its existing accessories redundant.

The new legislation will make it harder for manufacturers to develop better charging standards. The EU says it will update the legislation as technology develops.

At the press conference, Breton said that they wouldn't set something in stone for the next decade. We have a standard that is being developed and we have a dedicated team that will keep an eye on it. We will get better.

A charging standard for laptops is one aspect of the law that hasn't been settled. The deadline for laptop-makers is 40 months after the legislation is adopted. EU lawmakers say it's difficult to create a standard charge for laptops with different power requirements.

The standard that can cater to laptops between 100 and 240 watt is not certain. The reason for extending the deadline for laptops was to have a clear standard.

The article was updated with information from the press conference.