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The USB-C charging plug will become the standard for smartphones, tablets, and other electrical devices throughout the EU.
Which devices does the directive apply to?
All new cell phones, tablets, and digital cameras should be able to be charged via the USB-C charging plug. This also applies to loudspeaker boxes, headphones, portable navigation systems, mice, and printers. Starting in spring 2026, all new laptops will have a standardized charging plug.
Under the new directive, other conventional plugs, such as the older micro-USB connector and the Lightning connector for iPhones, will no longer be used.
What will change for consumers?
Ideally, consumers can charge all their devices with the same cable. Under the directive, new devices should always be offered without an enclosed charger. Manufacturers must state on the packaging what power the device requires for charging and whether it supports fast charging.
How are manufacturers reacting?
Apple has adapted to the regulations with the iPhone models 15 and 16 after the US company initially resisted the EU’s provisional agreement last year. The company had criticized the law for stifling innovations such as wireless charging.
Numerous newer devices can be charged completely without a cable, but it still takes longer. However, under EU regulations, even devices with a wireless charging function must always have a USB-C port.
Why is the directive only coming now?
The EU institutions have worked on a standardized charger regulation for over 15 years. In 2009, the Commission first agreed on uniform standards with most manufacturers in a declaration of intent. However, these were not binding, and Apple did not participate.
The agreement expired in 2014. The industry did not submit a new proposal until 2018, but the manufacturers did not satisfy the EU Commission. Therefore, the European Parliament also repeatedly called for legal intervention. With the current directive, Apple must also comply with the standardized plugs.
What does the EU Commission want to achieve?
The new requirements are intended to reduce electrical waste in the EU by almost 1000 tons per year and save thousands of tons of CO2. Above all, the Commission expects consumers to use their cables longer and buy fewer chargers. So far, they have spent around 250 million euros per year on chargers that are not actually needed.
- oe24.at/picture: Image by Denys Vitali from Pixabay
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