We own a lot of different types of chargers. Many products, like Apple phones and Microsoft Surface computers, have wires that are unique to them.
That may not be the case in the near future.
This month, the European Union announced a mandate that will require all new portable devices to have a common charging point. New laptops will be subject to the same rules two years from now.
Consumers around the world may be affected by the law. It will be expensive for tech companies to make products with different charging technology only for Europe.
Apple's devices use an array of charging technologies, which appears to be the target of the legislation. In November, Apple sent a letter to the European Commission expressing its opposition to the mandate. The commission's spokesman said the legislation could be updated quickly to keep up with the times.
No matter where you live, most devices you buy in the next few years will include a charging port known as theusb-c. The shift may be frustrating for many, and even more so for customers who have collected wires and accessories using Apple's proprietary Lightning connection. The mandate will make those products impractical to use once it takes effect.
It will be helpful to prepare for this transition. What can you do?
Let's start with the topic ofusb-c. It works with a lot of modern devices. It isn't the same as Apple's flat rectangular Lightning or the bulkyUSB rectangular connection.
The European law requires all devices to be compatible with theusb-c We'll need to plan to incorporate that into the products we use to charge our devices.
If you're buying a power brick that hooks up to your computer or phone via a wire, make sure to get one that has the ovalUSB-C port. It will be possible for it to accept a power cable that will connect to your phone or computer.
If you need to buy a power cable, keep in mind that many phones and computers already have them. Let's say you use an Apple phone. It makes sense to buy a new cable if your wired one breaks because the wires are cheap. Third-party lightning cables can be found for as little as fifteen dollars. If you want to make sure that your next laptop or power brick will work, you should buy a Lightning cable with ausb-c on the other side.
John Bumstead is the owner of a company that sells refurbished Apple hardware. Magnetic Induction is a newer wireless charging technology that uses an electrical current to generate a magnetic field and create voltage that powers your device without a wire.
mats and docks are some of the forms of wireless charging. They don't need to be plugged into a port on your phone, so now's a good time to consider wireless charging.
Buying accessories like keyboards and mice is a difficult problem. Apple's $200 Magic Keyboard and $150 Magic Track Pad have Lightning ports.
Mr. Bumstead said it would be a good idea to wait a couple of years for the next version of those products. It will be difficult to carry two cables for your phone and computer once the mandate takes effect. It will be easier to carry a single cable. The European law is about that.
When everything uses the same type of connection in a few years, you won't have to discard your proprietary connections. One way to make them more convenient to use is to buy an accessory, such as a dongle, that will allow a Lightning connection to be made. If you only have one device that uses a Lightning connection, you can use the dongle to plug it into another device.
Dongles are small and easy to misplace so you should not buy accessories with proprietary connections. You should opt for the ones that come with the port.
This transition will be okay with some planning. It is possible to replenish devices quickly with the help of theusb-c. Most of us already own a lot of these cables because so many products already use ausb-c
The train left the station. He said that the law will kick in in 2026, meaning that the technology should still be useful.
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