USB-C EU
European Parliament forMake USB-C the standard charging headthe motionmade a vow, making it law. Starting in late 2024, all mobile devices (including cell phones, tablets, headphones, etc.) sold in the EU within 100W will need to use USB-C charging, but there will be a longer grace period for laptops , before spring 2026. are still unlimited. Products that use non-USB-C charging heads must be listed before expiration.
The purpose of this regulation is to reduce the generation of electronic waste and, in addition to allowing users to continue using their previous chargers, it can also avoid the phenomenon of manufacturers “winning” consumers with unique charging heads. In addition to the physical charging head specifications, the EU also voted to include USB-C PD’s 18W fast charging in the requirements, which means the 18W USB-C power supply should become the benchmark. in the future.
The EU, in fact, has been trying for some time to implement the generalization of charging heads in a “voluntary” and “encouraged” way, but has not achieved “substantial” results, so it must be regulated by law. Other than the increasingly rare micro-USB, Apple isn’t particularly interested in making the switch to USB-C. In 2020, they also claimed that limiting the use of USB-C would “kill innovation”. Now Apple has virtually no choice: next year’s fastest iPhone model, and last year, Apple will finally transfer the iPhone, AirPods and other products to the USB-C connector.
However, Apple’s concerns aren’t entirely unreasonable. This EU decision will have enormous inertia on the industry: although there are legal provisions that allow future standards to be converted into “innovative charging solutions”, in practice, unless manufacturers completely abandon the European market , any new charging head will not be able to be launched until the EU defines a new standard. USB-C almost became a world standard before it was accepted by the European Union, if it’s a brand new standard I don’t know how many bureaucratic procedures it will have to go through.
