Would it be so nice to have just one type of charging port standard for all our devices? Well, if the European Union (EU) have its way, that could very well happen.
The EU recently proposed a new rule to force manufacturers to adopt a universal charging solution for phones and other electronic devices. The proposal wants all smartphones sold in the EU to come with a USB-C port.
As it stands, there are three types of charging ports in the market — micro USB, USB-C, and Lightning. The reason for the proposal was to reduce waste and encourage users to use their old chargers.
Apple pushed back, noting that such a move could stifle innovation. The company uses the proprietary Lightning port for the bulk of its devices — iPhones and some older iPads. While they use the USB-C port on current iPads and its MacBooks.
Meanwhile, USB-C is present on mid-range and high-end Android smartphones.
The proposal not only aims to force USB-C on phones but also on small electronic devices. The list includes:
- smartphones
- tablets
- cameras
- headphones
- portable speakers
- handheld video game consoles
The proposal also wants to standardized fast charging speeds, pushing for devices with fast charging to all charge at the same speeds.
If this comes to pass, implications could include slight changes to a device’s price. And considering the size of the EU, it will affect the global market as well. But it’s definitely more convenient to have just one port to charge all our devices.
Source: BBC
Featured image: Unsplash
