‘One for all’; EU demands universal phone charger, including Apple

London: The European Union (EU) commission has proposed a legislation that would require smartphone producers to adopt a single charging method for all mobile devices.

On Thursday, the EU unveiled its plan to mandate USB-C cables for charging, technology that many device makers have already adopted.

The main holdout is Apple, which has resisted the bloc’s efforts for a unified standard. However, EU also wants to cut down on the 11,000 metric tons of electronic waste that are thrown out every year by Europeans.

As per commission, the typical EU resident owns at least three chargers, and use only two regularly, but 38% of people report not being able to charge their phones at least once because they couldn’t find a compatible charger.

In 2020, some 420 million mobile phones or portable electronic devices were sold in the EU.

The draft rules also call for standardizing fast charging technology and giving consumers the right to choose whether to buy new devices with or without a charger, which the EU estimates will save consumers 250 million euros ($293 million) a year.

Under the proposed law, which must still be scrutinized and approved by the European Parliament, phones, tablets, digital cameras, handheld video game consoles, headsets and headphones sold in the European Union would all have to come with USB-C charging ports.

However, earbuds, smartwatches and fitness trackers aren’t included.

On the other hand, Apple said it shared the EU’s commitment to protecting the environment but questioned whether the proposals would help consumers.

“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,” the company said in a statement.

The internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton also pushed back against the industry's argument saying the new rules would slow innovation.

“If Apple wants to continue to have their own plug, they will have the ability to do it. It’s not against innovation, it’s just to make the lives of our fellow citizens a little bit more easy,” Breton said at a press briefing in Brussels, adding that device makers could still put two different ports on their phones if they want. He added that the proposals would allow for updates to keep pace with advances in technology.