By the end of 2024, all consumer gadgets, including iPhones and AirPods, must utilise USB Type-C as their primary charging port, according to a resolution passed by the European Parliament.
The new regulation, according to the Parliament, is a component of a larger EU initiative to lessen e-waste and enable consumers to make more environmentally friendly decisions.
“Following Parliament’s approval, EU consumers will soon be able to use a single charging solution for their electronic devices,” the European Parliament said in a statement.
“By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops,” it added.
The new regulations will allow consumers to use a single charger for a wide variety of small and medium-sized portable electronic gadgets, eliminating the need for a different charger each time they buy a new device.
All new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld game consoles that can be recharged through a wired cable and operate with a power output of up to 100 Watts must include a USB Type-C port, regardless of the manufacturer.
Laptops and MacBooks are also falling into this mandatory requirements but manufacturers have time until 2026.
Users will be able to charge their smartphones at the same speed with any suitable charger because all devices that enable fast charging will now have the same charging speed.