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The European Union reached an agreement Tuesday that will require all new smartphones, tablets and laptops to use a common charger by 2026.
The policy is an attempt to address the well-known consumer frustration. drawer full of chargers — some for Apple devices, others for portable speakers or handheld gaming systems. It represented an unusual level of involvement by a government regulator in product design decisions.
Policymakers said the move would reduce electronic waste. But companies, including Apple, have opposed the new law, which it says will hinder the development of new charging technologies. By law, a European standards body will be responsible for evaluating future charger designs for all devices.
By 2024, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, handheld video game devices, headphones, portable speakers, keyboards, mice, earbuds and other portable devices will need USB-C charging ports. The European Commission announced. By 2026, the law will apply to laptops.
To reduce the number of chargers in circulation, companies will also need to sell devices without a charger. The European Commission, the executive body of the 27-nation bloc, said that discarded and unused chargers generate 11,000 tons of waste each year.
“A common charger is common sense for many electronic devices in our daily lives,” said European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who helped negotiate the deal.
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