Once upon a time, phone manufacturers used whatever charging port they felt like, and numerous proprietary options made things stressful for consumers. More recently, just around the time that USB-C came into action, there were still devices using Lightning, Micro USB, and some feature phones that hadn’t let go of mini USB.
That’s less of a worry these days, as USB-C is the choice for most, but the EU is making sure that it won’t have to be a worry. A directive proposed years ago has finally come into effect, making it mandatory for mobile devices—and so many other kinds of electronics—to have a USB-C port for charging.
USB-C Is The New Universal Charging Port In The European Union
Back in 2022, the European Union considered the state of charging electronics and felt that there needed to be a “common charging” solution in place. If you’re a tech enthusiast, there’s really no reason to disagree, especially with the extremely versatile USB-C connector being an option. Needless to say, USB-C was decided on as the best option for a common charger.
The EU declared that all its member countries had to put the common charging directive into their national laws by December 28th, 2024, which you know, was a few days ago. What that means is that the new directive is now fully effective, and USB-C is the new universal charging standard in the EU.
What makes this new change so impactful is that it doesn’t only apply to smartphones and tablets. It includes digital cameras, headphones, portable video game consoles, keyboards, mice, speakers, earbuds, and so on. It also doesn’t stop OEMs from including proprietary charging ports alongside a USB-C one. It’s certainly going to make life easier, knowing that USB-C can do the job all around.
There Are A Lot Of Perks To This New USB-C Directive
The first and most obvious advantage of the new directive from the EU is that it means that you’ll have one charger to rule them all. It doesn’t matter how many gadgets you’re carrying around with you. As long as you have one charger with you, you effectively can’t “forget a charger” ever again (though I don’t recommend a single charger if you have more than three electronics with you).
One of the reasons why OEMs told us they weren’t including chargers in their packaging anymore was because of e-waste. Well, the EU is telling us the same thing, and enforcing chargerless boxes, as it is now guaranteed that you won’t have to buy a new charger for a new device since it is certain to use USB-C.
The EU is also forcing any devices with charging speeds above 15W to support USB-PD, which should help unify fast charging instead of allowing manufacturers to force proprietary fast-charging solutions.
Could Other Regions Follow Suit? It’d Be For The Best
I don’t think there’s any reason to object to USB-C being the new standard for charging. It is incredibly versatile, whether you want to use it for fast charging, data transfer, or even video output.
Sure, it might throw off OEMs a little bit, but if they weren’t already embracing USB-C in 2024, what have they been doing? It’d be a move that only makes life easier for consumers around the world, so it might be something other regions want to look into. After all, the EU’s move was what singlehandedly made Apple kill the Lightning port for iPhones—and the EU is still having fun with Apple.
