EU law requiring all new electronic devices manufactured from 2024 onwards to use a common charging cable.

[PTR 444]

EU Parliament approves common charging cable from 2024

Euro-MPs vote to make all mobile devices use the same USB-C type charger from 2024.

www.bbc.co.uk

European MPs have voted for a law requiring all new portable devices to use the same type of charging cable.
Smartphones and tablets, including the Apple iPhone and iPad, would have to use a USB-C charger from 2024, while laptop manufacturers would have until 2026 to make the change.
There were 602 votes in favour and 13 against, with eight abstaining.
Member states are expected to grant approval on 24 October, before the rule is signed into law at the parliament.
Following a provisional agreement by the European Union, in June 2022, the UK government told News BBC it was not "currently considering" introducing a common charging cable.
But under the current post-Brexit arrangements, the new regulation could apply to Northern Ireland.
The "new requirements may also apply to devices sold in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit agreement, potentially triggering divergence of product standards with the rest of the UK", according to a December 2021 parliamentary report.
The treaty works by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods, while the rest of the UK is outside it.
A row between the UK and EU about how to reform the Northern Ireland protocol remains unresolved.
EU commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager celebrated the new rule on Twitter, citing the "waste and inconvenience" of having multiple chargers.

This very much reminds me of that famous xkcd sketch on competing standards. While a universal charging cable for EU member nations is intended to reduce waste in the long term, it does leave some unanswered questions:

• Will manufacturers that currently use a unique type of charging cable (Apple etc) switch to USB-C for all new devices worldwide rather than just those in EU nations?
• If the above doesn’t happen, will electronics manufacturing costs increase as manufacturers have to provide separate production lines for the same product in different nations?
• How much wastage from obsolete charging cables will this plan cause in the short to medium term?
• Could the limitation of charger cable compatibility incentivise companies to capitalise on wireless forms of charging? Apple have historically said that the universal charging cable plan will “stifle innovation”, but if they and other manufacturers think outside the box and invest in new forms of charging, I believe the complete opposite will be the case.

 

[yorkie]

It's about time too! USB-C should have been standard years ago.

Companies like Apple were never going to act sensibly of their own accord; it's good to hear they are going to be forced to do this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

"Manufacturers"? It's basically just Apple when it comes to phones and tablets. And Apple were headed that way anyway - the iPad already uses USB-C.

I'm a bit less sold on it being necessary for laptops - they generally require a dedicated charger anyway as it's higher power than most phone chargers (e.g. my Macbook charger is 65W whereas the standard iPhone one is just 5W), and things like Apple MagSafe are sensible as e.g. you can't trip over it and drag it off the table.

 

[GusB]

I suspect Apple will just fall into line and adopt it; if they have to provide USB-C charging for the European market, I doubt they're going to want to have separate production lines for each market.

 

[yorkie]

I'm a bit less sold on it being necessary for laptops - they generally require a dedicated charger anyway as it's higher power than most phone chargers (e.g. my Macbook charger is 64W whereas the standard iPhone one is just 5W), and things like Apple MagSafe are sensible as e.g. you can't trip over it and drag it off the table.

No good reason not to; we've got at least half a dozen different types of Chromebook at work and all of them are compatible with each others charges, which is absolutely essential for us. The same sort of charger also works with my (early 2017) laptop.

There is no good reason for a standard laptop to require a "dedicated" charger; it just needs to be a standard type with sufficient power.

 

[Bletchleyite]

To be fair you can do "MagSafe" while still using USB C, e.g.:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Charging-CAFELE-Charger-Braided-Black-200cm/dp/B07VXVS6ZH/ref=asc_df_B07VXVS6ZH/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=371990109979&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8921941120576677218&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-814286296534&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=75190629543&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=371990109979&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8921941120576677218&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-814286296534

(link to a product which is basically a magnetic USB C plug)

 

[swt_passenger]

Ignoring issues with Apple, what happens down the line when the American led industry decides they’ve come up with a better connector than USB C?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ignoring issues with Apple, what happens down the line when the American led industry decides they’ve come up with a better connector than USB C?

Presumably there'll be a mass migration to USB-D or whatever it is, just as there was from Micro USB to USB C?

It's literally only Apple (and laptops which were traditionally barrel connectors because Micro USB couldn't handle the current demands). Everyone else solved this years ago.

And I don't doubt that Apple will charge £50 for a "MagSafe USB C plug"

 

[swt_passenger]

Presumably there'll be a mass migration to USB-D or whatever it is, just as there was from Micro USB to USB C?

It's literally only Apple (and laptops which were traditionally barrel connectors because Micro USB couldn't handle the current demands). Everyone else solved this years ago.

And I don't doubt that Apple will charge £50 for a "MagSafe USB C plug"

My iPad is USB C, there can’t be a fundamental problem with the phones having it as well. But I think Apple now use the term mag-safe to refer to their range of magnetic wireless charging pads for phones. (just to add to the confusion.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

My iPad is USB C, there can’t be a fundamental problem with the phones having it as well. But I think Apple now use the term mag-safe to refer to their range of magnetic wireless charging pads for phones. (just to add to the confusion.)

Didn't think of those, but my Macbook Pro M1 has the classic MagSafe (but with a USB C plug on the charger end).

 

[Sorcerer]

I remember seeing something like this a while ago, and honestly I feel like despite claiming it harms innovation that Apple only really oppose it because it means you will no longer have to buy their specific chargers for their phones and can just use a standard one from elsewhere.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I remember seeing something like this a while ago, and honestly I feel like despite claiming it harms innovation that Apple only really oppose it because it means you will no longer have to buy their specific chargers for their phones and can just use a standard one from elsewhere.

You don't need to anyway, any USB charger works, I never use an Apple one. You do need to use an Apple licenced cable but they come with one anyway.

The big step was when Apple started using USB on the charger end. That was when it was only necessary to carry multiple cables rather than multiple chargers, but I do anyway as I have two devices and want to charge both at once!

 

[Sorcerer]

You don't need to anyway, any USB charger works, I never use an Apple one. You do need to use an Apple licenced cable but they come with one anyway.

The big step was when Apple started using USB on the charger end. That was when it was only necessary to carry multiple cables rather than multiple chargers, but I do anyway as I have two devices and want to charge both at once!

As far as I'm aware Apple don't even provide plugs anymore in their new products. My latest phone certainly didn't come with one and it's just as well I had one because I prefer to charge it that way.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As far as I'm aware Apple don't even provide plugs anymore in their new products. My latest phone certainly didn't come with one and it's just as well I had one because I prefer to charge it that way.

Most phone companies don't supply them as everyone already has loads.

 

[Giugiaro]

• Will manufacturers that currently use a unique type of charging cable (Apple etc) switch to USB-C for all new devices worldwide rather than just those in EU nations?

Not necessarily. That could be a consequence, but not certain. Tesla has their own unique plug in the US, but in the EU it uses the IEC 62196 Type 2 plug that all other EVs in the European market currently use.

• If the above doesn’t happen, will electronics manufacturing costs increase as manufacturers have to provide separate production lines for the same product in different nations?

A common charger means there's going to be plenty of off-the-self PCB designs with the charger and plug included.
In fact, proprietary connectors may be more expensive as they are a one-of-a-kind design, so engineering and production costs won't be easily diluted.

• How much wastage from obsolete charging cables will this plan cause in the short to medium term?

Not much, as most brands already use USB-C as the de-facto standard. Most phones don't come with chargers included, because it's implied that the user already has a USB-C charger, or can readily get one.
As for the non-compliant chargers, they'll still be around as long as their respective phones still hang around. That is... if the cables last as long.
Also, cables with USB Type A to Micro B can be re-wired with a USB-C plug. Plugs are stupidly cheap, and there are tutorials on how to solder the wires to the pins of the USB-C plug.

• Could the limitation of charger cable compatibility incentivise companies to capitalise on wireless forms of charging?

Obviously. The EU law has exceptions that allow for other charging solutions and technologies to be used, like wireless charging or a plug that provides the device with functionality the current USB-C standard can't provide.
For instance, high-end PCs may have both a proprietary plug and a USB-C plug for charging, but the proprietary may deliver far more power and bandwidth than USB-C can deliver.
A Magnetic Safety plug is also a valuable alternative if the easy and safe removal from an accidental pull is beneficial to the user and the device.
Plus, if Apple predictably goes the route of the portless iPhone, there's nothing keeping them from doing so. At least in the EU.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Question: Does USB-C imply a common voltage? In other words, is there any risk that laptop chargers could still be incompatible because two different laptops, both with USB-C charging ports, actually require different voltages?

 

[ABB125]

There's a list of devices covered by the EU legislation in the article, but I can't copy it on my phone.
The ones I'm not convinced about are mice/keyboards and headphones. The former because "normal" USB is (and has been for ages) the standard. Mice/keyboards don't need the power delivery of USB C, nor the data transfer speeds. Most consumer laptops have several normal USB sockets, which is the main market for these peripherals; the kind of person whose laptop is USB C only tends to be the person who also has a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard, so it isn't an issue. Desktop PCs need a keyboard/mouse, and normal USB is fine for this.
In the latter case (headphones), 3.5mm jack is the standard pretty much everywhere for small devices and audio. Mandating USB C seems to be a backwards step, especially as the professional audio world won't be using it. Unless the legislation is for (charging) wireless headphones, in which case I agree with it.

 

[WatcherZero]

Question: Does USB-C imply a common voltage? In other words, is there any risk that laptop chargers could still be incompatible because two different laptops, both with USB-C charging ports, actually require different voltages?

The charger and the receiving device are supposed to handshake and agree the power to be supplied through the cable and on which pins so there wont be any problems with genuine USB-C cables, some laptop manufacturers however have made charging cables which look like USB-C but dont conform to the standards and they may damage other devices.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Possible EU law: does this have any relevance to the UK?

 

[2192]

Any device maufacturer that doesn't use USB-C now could just carry on making them and supply an adaptor cable with their own connector on one end and a usb connector on the other.

 

[Yew]

The ones I'm not convinced about are mice/keyboards and headphones. The former because "normal" USB is (and has been for ages) the standard. Mice/keyboards don't need the power delivery of USB C, nor the data transfer speeds.

I think this would be for say, charging a Bluetooth Keyboard or mouse, rather than power and data on a wired mouse.

It's about time too! USB-C should have been standard years ago.

I agree, but I do worry as to how migration in the future will be handled, I could envisage a situation where technology is limited as the EU can't make a decision to upgrade to USB-D (for example).

 

[66701GBRF]

I suspect Apple will just fall into line and adopt it; if they have to provide USB-C charging for the European market, I doubt they're going to want to have separate production lines for each market.

They have demonstrated their willingness to have separate lines for different markets with the iPhone 14 to a certain extent. UK still has the sim tray slot plus eSim where as in NA its 2x eSim only. I wouldn't put it passed Apple to be completely portless before adopting USBC though.

 

[dosxuk]

Unless the legislation is for (charging) wireless headphones, in which case I agree with it.

It's just about charging - it doesn't even require the data side of the connection to be used, so Apple would be fully compliant by fitting a USB-C port that can only charge the phone, and a lightning port that can do data transfer and charging.

In regards to potential successor connectors, there are review and update sessions incorporated into the directive - it's mostly built off the previous version which required micro-USB and that has now been successfully changed by industry with little fuss (other than from Apple).

 

[66701GBRF]

Any device maufacturer that doesn't use USB-C now could just carry on making them and supply an adaptor cable with their own connector on one end and a usb connector on the other.

That doesn't fit the requirement to only need one common charging cable.

 

[Dent]

You don't need to anyway, any USB charger works, I never use an Apple one. You do need to use an Apple licenced cable but they come with one anyway.

The device coming with one cable does not mean that no one will ever need to buy any other cables, so Apple's vendor lock-in is still an issue. It's not unknown for cables to fail, and someone might want to use different cables in different locations.

 

[Giugiaro]

That doesn't fit the requirement to only need one common charging cable.

It does. USB-C is the standard, and USB-C has to be available as a charging option.
The later Surface Book devices could be charged from their USB-C ports, but the Surface Connect port was always going to be the most appropriate to charge the device.
The USB-C could only sustain the battery level, or allow it to lose power slower than unplugged, when in use.

I once forgot to bring the Book's charger on a trip, so I was delighted that I could still keep it mildly charged on the train using my phone's charger.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Any device maufacturer that doesn't use USB-C now could just carry on making them and supply an adaptor cable with their own connector on one end and a usb connector on the other.

Apple has done this for well over 10 years. I believe this actually requires USB-C on both ends otherwise there'd be very little point.

It's just about charging - it doesn't even require the data side of the connection to be used, so Apple would be fully compliant by fitting a USB-C port that can only charge the phone, and a lightning port that can do data transfer and charging.

They aren't going to do that, though. The later iPads are USB C so interfacing one with iOS is already done. They know it's coming and they've already designed it.

 

[py_megapixel]

"Manufacturers"? It's basically just Apple when it comes to phones and tablets. And Apple were headed that way anyway - the iPad already uses USB-C.

And the manufacturers of cheap accessories (headsets, battery banks etc.) which still insist on using Micro-USB

 

[Bletchleyite]

And the manufacturers of cheap accessories (headsets, battery banks etc.) which still insist on using Micro-USB

And those, yes, but they're increasingly few in number.

 

[NSEFAN]

Possible EU law: does this have any relevance to the UK?

The UK will likely end up following whatever happens in mainland Europe, if at least only passively as more devices will just come with USB-C charging capability, even if not required to.