Proposes to make the same charger mandatory for all mobiles.

🌐 BBC

The European Commission has proposed a new rule for technology companies to make similar chargers for charging batteries for smartphones and small electronic devices. The proposal states that all smartphones sold in the European Union must have a USB-C charger. News from the BBC.

According to the report, the main goal behind taking this step is to reduce waste. If such a rule is made, it is expected that customers will continue to use the old charger even if they buy a new device.

However, Apple fears that the move will hurt technology innovation.

Separate charging ports are used for Apple smartphones. Apple’s ‘Lightning’ port is used to charge their iPhone series.

“Our fear is that if there is a strong obligation to make one-of-a-kind chargers, it will hurt rather than encourage innovation, to the detriment of consumers in Europe and around the world,” the company told the BBC.

Most Android phones currently have a USB Micro-B charging port. Many Android phones now have a USB-C charging port.

The new iPad and MacBook models feature a USB-C charging port. High-end models from popular phone manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei also have USB-C charging ports.

USB micro-B chargers accounted for almost half of all mobile phone chargers sold in the European Union in 2016.

In that year, 29% of phone chargers had USB C connectors and 21% had Lightning connectors.

The currently proposed rules for devices that require the same type of charger are:
These are:

• Smartphone
• Tablets
• Camera
• Headphones
• Portable speakers
• Handheld video game console

Earbuds, smart watches and fitness trackers are not included in this list.

The proposal also mentions the issue of charging speed – meaning that all devices that can be charged fast will be charged at the same time.