European Union Soon To Require Apple And Other Phone Manufacturers To Use USB-C Standard Chargers

USB-C as part of the single charging standard for mobile devices across the European Union (EU) (photo: Marcus Urbenz / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Apple and other smartphone manufacturers will be asked to make USB-C part of the single charging standard for mobile devices across the European Union (EU) by 2024.

The rules come under a new law announced recently by EU officials. It aims to reduce electronic waste and eliminate cable wastage.

"Phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers that can be recharged via wired cables must be equipped with a Type-C port, regardless of manufacture," said the Vice President of the Commission. Europe, Margrethe Vestager.

This law will apply to new small and medium-sized electronic devices sold in the EU. This means older iPhone chargers won't work on future models, and laptops will eventually have to use USB-C chargers as standard as well. Devices sold before the 2024 deadline will not be affected by the decision.

Apple has criticized the proposal in the past, claiming it hinders innovation. "We remain concerned that stringent regulations mandating only one type of connector hinder innovation rather than encourage it, which in turn will hurt consumers in Europe and around the world," an Apple spokesperson told CNBC International recently.

However, according to a Bloomberg report, Apple is already testing the iPhone with a USB-C port, indicating that the tech giant is already gearing up for a change.

Chargers that support fast charging will also be required to adopt the same charging speed. The move does not affect wireless charging technology, and consumers should be able to purchase devices without the included charger if they wish.

Launching CNN International, Wednesday, June 8, efforts to mandate a single standard for charging in Europe have been going on for more than a decade. EU officials at one point had gained industry support for the USB Micro-B standard.

But voluntary agreements among major manufacturers for it expired in 2014 and were not replaced. While, the forthcoming law to require USB-C, is otherwise the first of its kind.