In autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the universal plug format for charging all small mobile devices in European Union countries. A mandatory standard that will simplify our daily lives.
This time, it’s done ! From fall 2024, all mobile devices sold in the European Union must have at least one USB-C type port for electric charging. On June 7, the 27 EU member countries and MEPs reached a provisional agreement to impose this format on most electronic devices, namely smartphones, tablets, e-readers, cameras, audio players, portable speakers, game consoles and other mobile products. This new rule will also apply to laptops, but only in 2017, their manufacturers having several months to adapt the power supply systems to the capacities of the USB-C standard, currently limited to a power of 240W.
This is clearly excellent news for consumers, who will no longer have to juggle between chargers with multiple “proprietary” formats – in particular the connectors so dear to Apple… – as well as for the planet, insofar as this regulation will avoid the immense waste of electronic products due to the loss or replacement of products. According to an article by Bloomberg, European citizens would throw away some 11,000 tons of useless chargers per year, the equivalent of 250 million euros… In theory, a power supply unit with one or more outputs in USB-C format will be enough to recharge n any device, as long as its power is sufficient. We are therefore heading straight for the universal charger, independent of brands and types of products. Moreover, a provision of the agreement, also applicable from 2024, stipulates that the consumer must have the choice to buy his device with or without a charger. We imagine that manufacturers will quickly find their interest in it, by systematically offering their chargers as an option, for an additional charge… In addition, fast charging has been harmonized: we can thus charge a device at the same speed with any charger compatible.
Universal USB-C chargers from 2024
“Today we have made the universal charger a reality in Europe! Consumers will no longer have to buy a charger with every new mobile device. We are proud that laptops, e-readers, headsets, keyboards, computer mice and portable navigation devices are also included.We have also improved consumer information and labeling and added provisions for wireless charging, as this is the next evolution of the charging technology”prompted a delighted Alex Agius Saliba, report of the text to the European Parliament.
Admittedly, all is not complete in this great mutation which acts as a real revolution. It will first be necessary that the manufacturers of electronic products massively adopt this format, fortunately already very widespread. The 40 months that Europe grants them to adapt should be more than enough. Only Apple looks gray, being forced to abandon its famous Lightning connector, used in particular on its iPhone and iPad. But the Apple firm has the time and the means to fall into line without putting its financial health at risk, even if it means cutting back on the advantages of its technology.
The delay will also be used by consumers to familiarize themselves with the small intricacies of USB-C. Because if this standardized format has the immense advantage of being practical – you can insert a male connector into a female socket without worrying about the direction, unlike other USB formats – it has many differences in its multiple variations. Appeared in 2014 with the USB 3.0 standard, USB Type-C – that’s its full name – can indeed convey various signals corresponding to various uses – Power Delivery for power supply, DisplayPort for audio and video. , Thunderbolt, etc Above all, the standard has been successively declined with sub-versions which have led – and which still lead! – great confusion: USB 3.1, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, USB 3.2 Gen 2… Manufacturers and merchants will have to make efforts to clarify the compatibilities and possibilities of cables and chargers by improving their labeling to guide users.
After the summer holidays, the Parliament and the Council will still have to formally approve the agreement before its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Its provisions will begin to apply after 24 months, i.e. in the fall of 2024. Of course, the new rules will not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application.
Universal USB socket: a long-standing project
The agreement reached by the European Parliament and Council on June 7 marks the end of an old project. As early as 2009, the European Commission had already wanted to promote the adoption of the micro-USB format for mobile device chargers. In September 2021parliamentarians tabled a new text aimed at revising the directive on the making available on the market of radio equipment. The aim of the European Commission was twofold: on the one hand, to avoid users having to juggle multiple chargers, as is often the case; on the other, to limit the proliferation of electronic waste, avoiding the immense waste of resources (metals, rare earths, etc.) that accompanies the digital transformation of society, in particular with mobile devices. “Our project goes in the direction of consumers and that of the environment, while preserving innovation. It is the illustration of concrete Europe, which acts in favor of its citizens and the climate”declared Thierry Breton, the commissioner for the internal market, quoted by The world. “European consumers have been annoyed with the accumulation of incompatible chargers in their drawers for long enough. We have given the industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, but now is the time to take action legislation in favor of a universal charger. This is an important gain for our consumers and our environment, in line with our ecological and digital ambitions”, added Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition, in a press release.
Apple recalcitrant to USB-C format
This draft revision of the European directive did not suit one of the big names in consumer electronics, namely Apple, whose iPhones and iPads are still recharged today not on Lightning ports. The American was headwind against this text. “This regulation would stifle innovation instead of encouraging it and harm consumers in Europe and around the world”then explained Apple. “We continue to fear that strict regulation imposing one type of connector will stifle innovation rather than encourage it, which will ultimately hurt consumers in Europe and across the world”continued the group quoted by Reuters. “More than a billion Apple devices have a built-in Lightning connector. We want to be sure that the new legislation will not cause unnecessary cable shipments, and will not make these devices obsolete”, insisted the manufacturer. Rest assured, the manufacturer will have time, like the others, to adapt to the new legislation and adopt this standard, which is already widespread in the Android world. And, for older devices, it will still be possible to use Lightning-USB-C adapters that can be found for a few euros at many retailers.