In September, the European Commission will present a new legislative proposal for a “universal charger” for smartphones.
This is an issue that the European Commission has been dragging on for several years without making any progress on this issue. Indeed, in 2020, the debate was re-launched when the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to adopt a universal charger. The main advantages put forward are reduced environmental waste and user convenience.
During the recent debates in Parliament, the avenues that MEPs have exploited have been quite diverse: introducing a single charger (a controversial and sensitive topic, since there are likely different interpretations of the term “single charger”); Ensure that consumers no longer automatically buy a new charger when they buy a new phone; Enhanced wireless charging; Or even recycle more chargers and cables.
in a Effect study Released in 2019, my favorite options were to force the USB-C port on smartphones and make sure all chargers were interchangeable. At that time, 50% of charging cables sold with cell phones had a micro-B USB connector, 29% a USB-C connector, and 21% a Lightning connector.
So this new proposal is likely to be a concern for Apple above all else, given that Android smartphone manufacturers have already embraced USB-C. Apple is currently the only one that uses the Lightning port on its iPhones. There is a USB-C port at the level of the power adapter, but this is clearly not enough in the eyes of the European Commission.
Previously, Apple had already defended and explained regarding the use of the Lightning port in its iPhone: “ We believe regulations requiring the type of connector built into all smartphones to comply stifle rather than encourage innovation, and will hurt European consumers and the economy as a whole. ».
Will Apple have to review its version and ditch the Lightning port? The answer is in the coming weeks…
