The attempt to have a uniform entrance for technological devices, which has been the subject of debate in the European Union for a long time, has come to an end today. European Union officials have agreed to a regulation that will make USB-C input mandatory on all smartphones to be sold within the EU.
The regulation will cover all electronic devices such as tablets, digital cameras, speakers, portable game consoles and e-readers as well as smartphones. The announcement was published today by the European Parliament Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
All technological devices released after the autumn period of 2024 will have USB-C ports:
Although the new regulation has been approved by the European Union officials, it has not yet been approved by the European Union Parliament. and not formally approved by the Council. With these approvals, the European Parliament shared that it will be mandatory for all electronic devices to have a USB Type-C port from the autumn term of 2024.
The said new regulation will be the biggest step in the initiatives to reduce electronic waste in the European Union. With the regulation, all electronic devices will have the same input, so users will not have to deal with different cables, and the number of waste that arises if these cables lose their function will also decrease. Likewise, the unnecessary purchase of new chargers and cables will be prevented. With the regulation, it is expected to save approximately 250 million euros per year and to reduce 11 thousand tons of electronic waste.
Apple will be most affected by the regulation:
The company that will be most affected by the EU’s new regulation will be Apple. Apple, which has only included the Lightning input on iPhone phones, will no longer be able to do this. But Apple may also have a solution for this issue. Because the EU will only apply the regulation to devices that require wired charging. In other words, it will not be necessary to have a USB-C port on devices with only wireless charging support. This, in turn, will be an opportunity for Apple to fully embrace wireless charging technology.