After a decade of stalling, a new EU law could force Apple to introduce a universal charger for all devices

(Netzpolitik, 25 Jan 2021) More than 10 years after first announcing a common charger for phones, internal documents reveal the European Commission mulls changes to unify power supply for many appliances.

More than a decade ago, the European Commission announced a universal charger for all phones, but the initiative stalled due to the EU’s lack of assertiveness and resistance by one major manufacturer: Apple. However, the Commission wants to make a new attempt this year, as internal documents reveal.

The EU plans to force manufacturers to adopt a common charger for mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other electronic devices. Internal Commission emails and documents, which netzpolitik.org obtained through a freedom of information request, show preparations for a new law are underway in Brussels.

Currently, there are three different charging ports on the market: older Android phones use Micro-USB, newer ones rely on the USB-C standard and Apple uses its own Lighting port for iPhones. With the spread of wireless charging, the market faces further fragmentation, environmental campaigners say.

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Netzpolitik, 25 Jan 2021: After a decade of stalling, a new EU law could force Apple to introduce a universal charger for all devices