Europe finally adopts the single charger, to the chagrin of the American Apple


The Apple brand uses its own charging technology for its devices, including the iPhone. It will have to quickly develop its offer for the European market.

Europe finally adopts the single charger, to the chagrin of the American Apple

Europe finally adopts the single charger, to the chagrin of the American Apple | Photo credits: Istock

A decade of fruitless discussions, failed attempts, dashed hopes among environmental activists… And now, at the beginning of October 2022, the European Parliament has finally given its final green light to the obligation of the identical charger for all portable electronic devices sold in the European Union. Concretely, by the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras with a power of less than or equal to 100 watts must be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port, an obligation which will be extended to computers. portable from spring 2026.

11,000 tons of waste

The new legislation – adopted in plenary by 602 votes in favor, 13 against and 8 abstentions on Thursday – is part of a wider European effort to reduce the amount of e-waste and empower consumers to make more sustainable choices. “, welcomes the Parliament on its website, adding that the mountain of chargers sleeping in the drawers represents 11,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year in the EU. Faced with the rise of wireless charging, the European Commission will also have to harmonize interoperability requirements by the end of 2024. It will also remove the technological dependence of consumers on producers, also known as the ‘lock-in effect’. “, underlines the Parliament.

At Apple, the news makes people cringe. For its iPhone, the Apple brand uses its own Lightning charging technology. She will have no choice but to upgrade to USB-C for Europe to make it compatible with devices running Android. The Californian group deplores a decision “ stifling innovation “, but he has already made good progress on the subject: the Ipad and MacBook come with a Lightning-USB-C adapter cable which allows you to connect to a USB-C socket if necessary. On the other hand, for the iPhone and AirPods, the firm is resisting. On Wall Street, the title Apple is taking the shock well, since it gained 1.6%, to 144.8 dollars.


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