EU to make USB-C new standard for mobiles by 2024

The new law is part of a larger EU initiative to cut e-waste

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The new law is part of a larger EU initiative to cut e-waste

Apple's iPhone will have to use USB-C instead of its proprietary Lightning connector.

The European Parliament has passed a law mandating that by the end of 2024 all consumer electronics devices, including Apple's iPhone and AirPods, must use USB-C as their standard charging port.

The new law was approved by the plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against, and 8 abstentions.

"The common charger will finally become a reality in Europe," said EU spokesperson Alex Agius Saliba.

"We have waited more than ten years for these rules, but we can finally leave the current plethora of chargers in the past."

The law is part of a larger EU initiative to reduce e-waste and give consumers the power to make sustainable decisions. The EU says a single charger for all mobile devices and tablets is good for both the environment and consumers.

The European Parliament estimates that consumers in the EU spend €250 million annually on chargers; and unused chargers included with gadgets produce an additional 11,000 tonnes of e-waste each year.

The new regulations will enable consumers to use a single charger for a wide variety of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices, eliminating the need for a different charger each time they buy a new device.

The categories of new devices are covered by the new law include:

Any of these gadgets that can be recharged by a wired line and operate with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts are covered by the legislation.

The move to a common charging standard means all devices that support fast charging will benefit from the same charging speed, enabling users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.

With many of Apple devices still using the Lightning connector rather than USB-C, this "common port" law is going to impact the iPhone maker in particular.

Apple has slammed the idea in the past, stating that standardising charging will stifle innovation and result in a mountain of electronic waste.

Apple continues to use its proprietary Lightning port for its phones, but it will soon be required to offer USB-C in the EU at least, thanks to the new law.

The company will most likely implement the change by the iPhone 16 at the latest.

Apple may decide to sell USB-C iPhones only in the EU since the new regulation only applies to the EU, while continuing to sell Lightning iPhones in all other locations. We consider this unlikely, though: doing so would require producing two distinct versions of the iPhone, and above all else Apple favours standardisation (as long as it's on its own terms).

An alternative to complying with the USB-C law could be Apple completely doing away with ports in favour of wireless charging and data transfer. There have been rumours about a portless iPhone for some time; but if one ever comes, it probably won't be until 2024.