GO UP
travel tech
mobile charging eu

EU deal on single mobile charging port likely June 7 in setback for Apple

EU countries and EU lawmakers are set to agree on a common charging port for mobile phones, tablets and headphones on June 7 when they meet to discuss a proposal that has been fiercely criticised by Apple (AAPL.O), people familiar with the matter said. mobile charging eu

SIM card e SIM shop

 

The proposal for a single mobile charging port was first broached by the European Commission more than a decade ago after iPhone and Android users complained about having to use different chargers for their phones.

The former is charged from a Lightning cable while Android-based devices are powered using USB-C connectors.

The trilogue next Tuesday will be the second and likely the final one between EU countries and EU lawmakers on the topic, an indication of a strong push to get a deal done, the people said.

Outstanding issues include broadening the scope of the proposal to laptops, a key demand by EU lawmakers that is likely to impact Samsung and Huawei and other device makers, the people said.

EU lawmakers also want to include wireless charging systems to be harmonised by 2025 while EU countries and the Commission wants a longer lead-in period for technical reasons.

Apple was not immediately available for comment. It has previously said the inappropriate use of dated international standards stifles innovation and that forcing users to change to new chargers could create a mountain of electronic waste. mobile charging eu

“In the past, mobile telephones were only compatible with specific mobile telephone chargers. An estimated 500 million mobile phones were in use in 2009 in all EU countries,” EC research about the directive says. “The chargers used often varied according to the manufacturer and model, and more than 30 different types of chargers were on the market. Apart from causing inconvenience to the consumer, this created unnecessary electronic waste.”

The law would prevent Apple and Android from swapping chargers between phone generations. There would be no more adapters and power bricks for multiple devices. Apple was upset at the legislative move.“We remain concerned that 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 said in a statement.

Apple famously uses Lightning Chargers on iPhones, but recently switched to USB-C chargers for iPads. Presumably, Apple will simply switch to USB-C chargers on the iPhone, which has been a move long rumored by Apple watchers anyway, and is a charging standard that many people really like.

“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. “We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger.”

This is a problem that affects more than just phones. In Europe, electric vehicles have two charging networks—Tesla and everyone else. The lack of common charging stations across the EU has made it difficult to build out EV infrastructure and convert the population to electric cars.

Like this? "Sharing is caring!"

Driven by wanderlust and a passion for tech, Sandra is the creative force behind Alertify. Love for exploration and discovery is what sparked the idea for Alertify, a product that likely combines Sandra’s technological expertise with the desire to simplify or enhance travel experiences in some way.