The (long) wait is over, after a process that has taken years, the European Council and the European Parliament have finished putting the dots on the i’s and USB-C becomes, in this way, the charging port that all devices in the common European space must use. A long-awaited regulation, which will result in a significant improvement for both citizens and the environment.
The agreement has been communicated through the news website of the European Parliament, and said communication also informs of the term granted to technology manufacturers so that, upon arrival of the deadline, all the devices that maintain the for sale in the European Union use USB-C as the charging port. Or, rather, the dates, sinceue different deadlines have been established depending on the type of device.
More specifically, this is what we can read on the European Parliament website:
«Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charging device and cable each time they buy a new device, and will be able to use a single charger for all of their small and medium-sized portable electronics. Mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, headphones, digital cameras, earphones and headphones, portable game consoles, and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a cable must be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of their manufacturer. Laptops will also have to comply with the requirements 40 months after entry into force.«
Thus, as you can see, USB-C is standardized as a charging port not only for smartphones, which was the most anticipated change. Tablets, eReader, headphones, digital cameras (we understand that both photographic and video), headphones, portable consoles and speakers They will also necessarily have to use USB-C to charge their batteries. Be careful, yes, here it is important to clarify that we are talking about a charging port, not a power supply, from which we can deduce that small and medium-sized electronic devices without a battery, and therefore without autonomy, will be able to continue using the charging port preferred by their manufacturers.
Formal approval has not yet taken place, although in this case we are already talking about a process that we know for sure will go ahead. This will take place after the summer recess of the institutions, and after that, it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, a process similar to the publication in the BOE in Spain. On the date of its publication, it will enter into force 20 days later, and its provisions will be of mandatory application 24 months later. Thus, we can expect the approval and publication in the middle-end of September, that the clock starts counting in October and, therefore, that USB-C is the universal charger in Europe from autumn 2024.
It is true that, seen in this way, it may seem an excessive period, but we must bear in mind that the terms with which many companies in the technology sector work are, at least, one year, and in many cases even more. With this 24-month moratorium, Europe makes it easier for technology companies to adapt the designs that will see the light from the second half of 2024 to this new standard. The two-year term is a common margin. Now we see it with the implementation of USB-C as a charging port, but it is also the term that was granted, at the time, for the adaptation to the GDPR.
The new norm not only regulates that USB-C is the universal charging port in Europe, also puts the focus on fast charging systems, in order to establish a common speed. In this way, and as will happen with conventional chargers, fast-charging ones should also be able to be used with devices from different manufacturers. This measure can hamper the evolution of fast charging technologies but, on the other hand, also contribute decisively to their implementation.
This rule does not catch us by surprise, a little over a month ago we already told you that the procedures were very advanced, and it was evident that Parliament and Commission wanted to close this matter this year. Actually, the original plans were to have completed this process and have established USB-C as the only charging port in 2020, but it was finally delayed as a result of the pandemic.
Now, of course, all eyes are on Cupertino and its Numantine defense of the Lightning port.. Apple will still be able to use its port, instead of USB-C, with iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. However, all smartphones (and other devices, of course) that it intends to keep on sale in the fall of 2024 will necessarily have to have already made the jump to USB-C. Unless, of course, they opt for the drastic measure of offering only wireless charging, and that the Lightning port is used exclusively for data. It seems a bit extreme, but let’s not forget that we are talking about Apple.
