The standardization of charging cablegram in Europe has been on the EU ’s agenda for many years , but has not yet been carry out . However the EU seems to be gearing up to pass a law regarding this in 2021 .
accord to a report byReuters , the European Commission intend to lay out a draft natural law next month that obliges maker of nomadic speech sound and other electronic devices to have a common charging port .
This follows a account in January 2021 fromNetzpolitik.orgwho claim to have receive internal documents and emails from the Directorate General for the Internal Market . These suggested that a new draft police force to standardise the connections could be demo in 2021 . The project is part of the “ Circular Electronics Initiative ” and should also let in other gimmick with similar power prerequisite , such as headphones and cameras .
If this law is passed Apple may have to say goodbye to the Lightning connectedness ( at least in Europe ) . Should the law be passed it is likely that USB - C will prevail , despite the fact that Micro - USB is the most usual connexion . USB - C offer up many technical advantage and is considered significantly more time to come - proof . Apple itself switched iPad Pro and iPad Air to USB - carbon some time ago .
A confusion of cables
Micro - USB , USB - C and Lightning : If you have a smartphone , it is almost certainly charged via one of these three ports . USB - C has become the criterion for newer Android smartphones , while old , or current , but inexpensive model , still rely on micro - USB . Apple , in turn , relies on the proprietary Lightning connective , which is still used in all iPhones and most iPads to this day , although the society is also pushing wireless charging via MagSafe .
The European Union would like to prevent this confusion of connections in the future tense and enforce standardization in the European region .
In theory this should profit the consumers as no newfangled charging cable will be necessitate when switching to a different gadget . An iPhone drug user would no longer need to bring their Lightning cable when chit-chat a booster with an Android smartphone , for example . ( And our friend who moved from Android to iPhone would n’t find themselveswithout a means of charging their new gimmick ) .
Lightning vs USB-C
Debates about such a metre have been going on for several years amid opposition from the manufacture . Apple has been particularly vocal in its resistance of such a jurisprudence . The company lay claim that such regulation prevents innovation and cause electronic wastefulness , as many users would have to buy young charging cables . Apple is not incorrect with this , although Apple also has to shoulder some to the blame for this having insisted on a proprietary interface , which in twist bring to the electronic waste .
For a recollective time Lightning had many technical arguments on its side , as it offered some advantage over the older micro - USB standard . That change with USB - C – a more advanced monetary standard with a higher data point rate that is faster and more herculean than Apple ’s Lightning . In addition , USB - C has now become widely accepted and tablets and laptop computer also trust on the standard . Even Apple ’s own MacBooks now only come with USB - 100 ports .
Why the EU is trying to standardize ports
The EU is in the main concerned with the variety of smartphone connections for two reasons . On the one hand , there are the resulting disadvantage for consumers who , in the unsound case , need three different case of cable system to commit their gadget . On the other hand , the shock on the environment .
This has been pass on for some sentence . Back in 2009 an initiative based on voluntary agreements with the industry was able to persuade many manufacturers to install USB interface in their twist . However Apple did not concord and continued to trust on proprietary solutions .
Then in 2013 the European Parliament voted tostandardize smartphone connectorsin a move to boil down dissipation .
Back in January 2020 we reported on first step within the EU to standardise appoint cable . The EU Parliament then voted with a large majority for the proposed firmness of purpose and paved the way for future bills .
As Netzpolitik.org account in January 2021 , 13,300 tonnes of electronic barren are created every year across Europe from old cellular telephone phone chargers , less than half of which is presently being recycle . In the future tense , vendee of a new smartphone should be able-bodied to continue using their former charger instead of getting a new one with every purchase .
This is one ground why theiPhone 12still comes with a cable , but no longer a tycoon supply social unit . The idea is that it should intend client habituate their former chargers – except that the cable television Apple supplies with the iPhone 12 is USB - C to Lightning and most people own USB - A to Lightning plugs . ReadWhich king adapter do I need to charge my iPhone 12 ?
Incidentally , there was a rumour in 2020 thatApple would ditch the Lightning port on the iPhone 13.This does n’t appear to be the case though , take about thenew iPhone 13 .
Wireless charging under review
But it ’s not only wired charging options that are an issue in the EU : the development of wireless charging is also causing a need for discussion . So far the Qi standard has been used almost exclusively , but many alternatives are about to be launched on the market .
to foreclose a place standardised to that for wired solutions in this expanse , the EU would care to create a unvarying principle here as well . To this final stage , the EU Commission has commission a study to try the options for military action .
The EU is fundamentally critical of wireless charging . It has been examine that the power consumption is high and a British sketch indicate that the enduringness of rechargeable batteries also sustain from inducive charging .
Related : Will there be an iPhone with USB - C ?
This clause is based on two article fromMacwelt , with additional reporting by Karen Haslam .
