EU proposing USB-C smartphone charger standard
The European Commission has proposed legislation that would require USB-C to become the standard charging port for all mobile devices, which would require Apple to migrate to it as a standard on the iPhone within two years of enactment.
Lightning port on an iPhone
As expected, the EU has presented a legislative proposal for a common charger, which could potentially mean Apple having to replace its iPhone Lightning port with USB-C.
The Radio Equipment Directive also proposes that chargers be "unbundled" from sales of devices, and that manufacturers would no longer be able to "unjustifiably" limit charging speeds.
"European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, 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," she continued. "This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions."
In the same statement, commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said that the proposal is about "putting an end" to unnecessary and non-interchangeable chargers.
With our proposal, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics," he said, "an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste."
The new proposed legislation will next have to be adopted by the European Parliament before it becomes law. If it is, then there will follow a transition period of 24 months, which "will give industry ample time to adapt."
"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 about the matter.
Apple has already adopted USB-C on devices such as the new iPad mini 6, but its iPhone 13 range has continued to use Lightning. It's possible that Apple may move to USB-C for future iPhones, but equally it is rumored to be looking to use wireless charging to allow for a port-less iPhone.
The EU has done this once before. It mandated micro USB as a charging standard just a bit less than a decade ago. Apple side-stepped that mandate by supplying a micro USB to Lightning adapter. It's not clear what the EU will propose when a new physical connector, superseding USB-C is released.
Read on AppleInsider
Lightning port on an iPhone
As expected, the EU has presented a legislative proposal for a common charger, which could potentially mean Apple having to replace its iPhone Lightning port with USB-C.
The Radio Equipment Directive also proposes that chargers be "unbundled" from sales of devices, and that manufacturers would no longer be able to "unjustifiably" limit charging speeds.
"European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, 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," she continued. "This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions."
In the same statement, commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market, said that the proposal is about "putting an end" to unnecessary and non-interchangeable chargers.
With our proposal, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics," he said, "an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste."
The new proposed legislation will next have to be adopted by the European Parliament before it becomes law. If it is, then there will follow a transition period of 24 months, which "will give industry ample time to adapt."
"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 about the matter.
Apple has already adopted USB-C on devices such as the new iPad mini 6, but its iPhone 13 range has continued to use Lightning. It's possible that Apple may move to USB-C for future iPhones, but equally it is rumored to be looking to use wireless charging to allow for a port-less iPhone.
The EU has done this once before. It mandated micro USB as a charging standard just a bit less than a decade ago. Apple side-stepped that mandate by supplying a micro USB to Lightning adapter. It's not clear what the EU will propose when a new physical connector, superseding USB-C is released.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
I didn’t read the proposal. Does it state to use USB-PD?
The “stifles innovation” is probably because Apple, if enacted like that, wouldn’t be able to make an iPhone 16 of which the only change is USB-C instead of lightning and sell this as innovation? (Just kidding.)
So the EU has now declared that USB-C is the be-all, end-all of ports. New, advanced technology need not apply. So let it be written, so let it be done.
I wish Apple had moved to USB-C long ago. but I hope that they've moved to fully wireless before this comes into force just to make them look stupid.
Connectors eventually become obsolete. By requiring a connector be standardised, which could very well become limiting by the time this EU mandate would become a requirement, it inherently becomes about holding technology back.
I don’t want USBC or lightning to be a required port on my devices for the next however many years because who knows what technology will emerge. They’ve been fine so far, but that doesn’t mean they will continue to be for an artificially prescribed amount of time.
If this legalisation had a sunset clause in say 5 or 6 years it'd be more sensible, then it would get every manufacturer to switch and then would allow future innovations on USB-C. Of course proposing amendments like this are basically impossible because the EC isn't democratic, but I digress. I suspect C will be around for a very, very long time however. It's a really good connector. Forward thinking and well designed, it does at last seem at last we might get one connector for everything.
So Apple is forced to comply. And if Apple or another company comes up with something new and better they are prohibited from deploying it until they get approval. So Lightning may be past its prime. What happens when USB-C is past its prime? Do you really want bureaucrats dictating the development and use of technology?
Yeah, I get it, the haters who have been pontificating about Lightning and USB-C, and want to see Apple taken down a notch, are probably pleasuring themselves over this. Wait until their favorite piece of tech is regulated out of existence by people who know nothing about tech.
You realise Apple already uses USB-C exclusively on their Macs, most of their iPads, and the power supplies that they sell?
I get it too, you along with the other blinkered fanboys think every single thing Apple does is for the customer, in 100% of cases. But I have news for you: it's not. Contemporary Apple is not the Apple of yore. It's not all about the customer anymore.
In a few years, who knows but maybe wireless charging and connecting via Magsafe will be the only way to go for Apple. Should they then be forced to have a USB-C connector too? It is also not certain that USB-C will last forever and will EU dictate a new standard again? And again, and again? I think the EU should focus on real problems instead.
As I understand it the flexible receptor pins are in the cable for USB, and in the port for lightning, and if they get bent or damaged you're likely to need a replacement. You're more likely to bend a pin than the USB tongue, and it's easier to replace a cable that a whole port (especially in a MacBook).
I don't think there's a definite winner either way, pros and cons on both sides, and you can get burnt with both.
Almost all questions raised here are answered in the fachsheet, along with something else that seems to have gone over many people's heads. This proposal is not limited to smartphones.
It is attempting to tackle a wider problem.
There is a lot to like and once read, most people should be able to get their heads around why we reached this point.