Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Apr 21, 2025

Common EU charger countdown: Two years to go for iPhones to follow the rules

Common EU charger countdown: Two years to go for iPhones to follow the rules

The bloc’s new rules mandate that smartphones and other small electronic devices all have USB-C charging ports.
that's when EU rules mandate iPhones will have to drop Apple's lightning cable and start using a common charging port — in line with all other smartphones.

The new EU law enters into force Tuesday; it requires that within two years smartphones and other small electronic devices use a USB-C charging port, an effort to cut down on electronic waste and make life easier for consumers.

Here's an overview of what was decided, what the timeline is and how it will all play out.

1. What's actually decided?

The Radio Equipment Directive is often referred to as the "common charger file," and it mandates that 13 classes of electronic devices be "equipped with the USB Type-C" charging port and that they can be charged with cables complying with USB-C standards.

That will make USB-C the standard for smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops.

2. What's the timeline?

EU countries have until December 28, 2023 to transpose the directive into national rulebooks — something that is often a problem for laggard capitals.

The first major deadline comes a year after that, by which time all devices except for laptops will have to abide by the rules; laptops get until April 28, 2026.

The Commission can add other device categories to the list through delegated acts starting in 2025, and every five years after that.

3. Where does this leave Apple?
Apple strongly resisted the new rules

Apple strongly resisted the new rules, arguing in an Apple-commissioned study that the environmental gains would only come to €13 million, but would stifle charging technology innovation worth €1.5 billion. In its feedback on the proposal, Apple urged lawmakers to avoid this "by reconsidering the proposal entirely or amending it."

This argument didn't get much traction and EU institutions struck a common charger deal in June.

Despite its grumbles, Apple's top marketing executive Greg Joswiak told a Wall Street Journal conference in October that it will comply. The iPhone 15 launching in the fall is the first opportunity to shift to USB-C.

4. Aren't we all moving to wireless?

The EU's mandate to move to USB-C could well be a short-lived victory. The smartphone industry has been moving toward wireless charging technology, where a magnetic field transfers energy from a charging station or pad to the device, bypassing the need for a charging port.

The EU rules don't address wireless charging — for now. Lawmakers have added an obligation for the Commission to come up with a report on the technology by December 28, 2026, but the industry isn't waiting around. Apple and other major smartphone manufacturers have already embraced a standard, the open-source Qi technology, pushed by an industry group, the Wireless Power Consortium.

5. Will this help cut e-waste?

Besides less faffing around hunting for chargers, the adoption of a common charger has been sold as part of the battle against e-waste. According to the Commission's initial estimates, chargers account for 11,000 tons of electronic garbage annually, or 0.3 percent of the total. Final numbers could be higher, as these estimates don't include laptops — added later to the list by lawmakers.

But Finland-based Swappie, which sells refurbished iPhones, has recently been calling the rules "a bittersweet scenario." It fears the directive will make it impossible to sell non-EU phones without USB-C charging ports, cutting off a source of refurbished phones.

"The refurbishment industry lives through the sourcing of second-hand devices, meaning that all regulations on the overall smartphone industry end up having a direct impact on our access to supply," the company said in a statement.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
The Trump Administration is contemplating removing Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.
Violent Incidents and Public Safety Concerns Escalate in London and County Durham
UK MP Arrested on Suspicion of Rape and Child Sex Offences
UK Gears Up to Respond to US Tariffs with Industrial Strategies and Trade Initiatives
‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren and his wife Emma Krokdal bask in the Miami sunshine following the actor’s lengthy health struggles.
Spain Encounters Countrywide Protests as Housing Crisis Intensifies
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
U.S. Firms with Major International Revenue Exposure in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Calls on the Federal Reserve to Reduce Interest Rates in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Prolongs TikTok Sale Deadline by 75 Days
×