The European Union has unveiled the date by which manufacturers must adopt USB Type-C for the charging of all small mobile devices. Apple has plenty of time to adopt this universal socket…
If the mandatory USB-C port for all electronic devices will indeed become a reality, it is not for now! After having evoked a vague “autumn 2024”, the European Union finally gives a precise date for its law obliging manufacturers to provide at least one USB-C type port for electric charging all mobile devices sold in the EU. European Union – smartphones, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable audio players, portable speakers, game consoles, keyboards and mice, and others. The text has been registered in the European Official Journal on December 7 and reveals that this obligation will only be effective from December 28, 2024. This means that Apple – which is mainly targeted by the law with its proprietary Lightning port – has just over two years to return compliance.
Apple has already affirmed to the wall street journal that the firm would comply with the new law, but is far from jumping for joy. But the date of its implementation raises some questions. If we refer to Apple’s usual calendar, the firm can still escape the European directive until 2025. And by then, it should have time to release two new generations of iPhones – which are coming out usually around September. But then, will Apple play the watch? Nothing is less certain, because the firm has long been aware of the European Union project. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, as reported Bloomberg, the firm would have asked its suppliers to provide it with USB-C ports for its entire iPhone 15 range, scheduled for September 2023, and would already be testing them. Additionally, iPads and Macs now use the universal port, as does the Apple TV 4K remote, which was updated in November. It remains to be seen how she will manage the transition.
Note that this new injunction will also apply to laptops whose power is less than or equal to 100 W, but only at the beginning of 2026, their manufacturers having a period of several months to adapt the power supply systems to the capacities of the USB-C standard. For the moment, connected watches are an exception to the rule, due to their compactness. A decision that should reduce electronic waste and facilitate the recharging of devices in Europe.
Universal charger: reduce electronic waste
Even if its application is a little late, this law 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 tonnes 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. This is why European parliamentarians have approved 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 fee… In addition, fast charging will have to be harmonized in order to avoid it being restricted if it is used with a device of a different brand. We can therefore charge a device at the same speed with any compatible charger. Of course, the new rules will not apply to products placed on the market before the date of application.
Universal USB-C chargers from December 28, 2024
As a reminder, thehe European Parliament had approvedthis Tuesday 4 October in Strasbourg, the directive on the “universal charger for electronic devices”with an overwhelming majority – 602 votes for, 13 against and 8 abstentions.“Today we have made the universal charger a reality in Europe! Consumers will no longer have to purchase a charger with each new mobile device. We’re 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 in charging technology.”, had already rejoiced Alex Agius Saliba in June about the text in 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 – this is 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.
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 by 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.
Lightning: Apple recalcitrant in 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.