What you need to know
- The European Commission has been lobbying for a common mobile phone charger.
- The bloc plans to introduce legislation next month.
- It could see phone manufacturers forced to sell devices with a single standard of charger, possibly USB-C.
A new report says that the European Commission is planning to introduce new legislation that could force mobile phone vendors to sell phones with a single standard of charger.
A Reuters report states:
The European Commission will next month present legislation to establish a common charger for mobile phones and other electronic devices within the 27-nation bloc, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The report says that the move will affect Apple "more than its rivals" because of Apple's commitment to the Lightning port in devices like the iPhone 12 and upcoming iPhone 13. The report continues:
The EU executive is currently drafting the legislation, the source said, without giving further details. Lawmakers at the European Parliament last year voted overwhelmingly in favour of a common charger, citing environmental benefits and convenience to users.
The EU has floated the idea for some time, but Apple has previously warned against the move, saying it has shipped over a billion devices with the Lightning port, but that furthermore, the industry is already moving to USB-C so there is no need to regulate the issue.
Apple has moved more of its products to USB-C in recent years, including its M1 iPad Pro (2021) and iPad Air. There are also rumors that Apple may add USB-C to its iPad Mini 6 (2021). Along with the base model iPad, it's the only Apple device still relying on a Lightning port outside of the iPhone ecosystem.
