Great news for EU consumers, bad news for some mobile device makers (looking at you Apple). The EU has announced new requirements effected by the end of 2024 for mobile devices.
The European Parliament has voted to make USB-C the common charging standard in the EU. All mobile devices with up to 100W power delivery (including phones, tablets and earbuds) sold in the region will have to come with a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. Laptops will need to make the switch by spring 2026. Products that come to market before these deadlines won’t be affected.
It’s no secret that the requirement will primarily affect Apple, which has stuck to proprietary Lightning ports on iPhones and some other devices despite a broader industry move to USB-C. We’ve asked Apple for comment and will let you know if it responds, although it claimed in 2020 that the charger requirement would “stifle innovation.” This won’t limit sales of current Lightning-equipped products like the iPhone 14 lineup or second-gen AirPods Pro, but it will force the company to switch to USB-C in the future. Multiple rumors have suggested Apple is already testing USB-C iPhones that might arrive in 2023, and the entry-level iPad might use the port this fall.
From my quick research it does appear Apple already plans to have USB-C Charging with the iPhone 15 due out in the Fall of 2023. Given these new rules and Apple release a new model iPhone ever September or October, Apple would have to have USB-C charging with the iPhone 17 in 2025. Apple is well ahead of the curve with the MacBook which already use USB-C. However, the 16-Inch MacBook Pros would be exempt from these new rules since they are 140W power delivery.
via Engadget
