If you can no longer carry different chargers for different devices in your bag, or if you can’t take the whole drawer apart into obsolete pieces, a law passed today in Europe may begin to put an end to that situation.
The European Parliament passed a new rule this Tuesday, after a decade of debate and pressure, obliging all phone manufacturers to harmonize outlets for chargers. Phone companies will have two years to adapt, and from 2026 the same rule will be required for laptops.
In practice, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, Apple and all other companies will have to use the same USB-C port for smartphones, tablets or other small electronic devices.
It is the first law in the world of this nature that could place Europe as a kind of standardization model for a technology revolutionizing communication.
The biggest blow will be Apple and its iPhone, which will have to go through changes and redesigns. According to the European rule, it will be the default Android model used for the charger.
In fact, trying to stop the passage of the law, Apple warned that the two-year period would not be enough and that the new regulation would create an “unprecedented volume of electronic waste” in practice.
The company also stated that the law would hinder innovation. But behind the scenes and anticipating a change, he has already started working on a new mobile phone model since last year. Only 21% of chargers sold worldwide today are compatible with iPhone.
But the lawmakers did not give up and the new law was approved by an overwhelming majority of the parliamentarians, with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions.
“More than a decade later, a single charger for multiple electronic devices will finally become a reality in Europe,” said deputy Alex Agius Saliba, author of the project.
The process began in 2009, when the European Commission issued a warning about the presence of more than 30 types of chargers on the market. The concern for Blok was the issue of electronic waste. At the time, Nokia, Samsung, and Apple signed an agreement of intent to try to standardize their charger models.
But understanding failed and European regulators stepped in again to force a new model into law.
Brussels estimates that once implemented, the standard will save consumers €250 million per year and reduce e-waste by around 1,000 tonnes per year.
source: Noticias
