Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Oct. 24 (Xinhua)-- the European Union today finally approved legislation that would force Apple and other technology companies to switch to the USB-C interface on their devices.

According to the EU's official press release, the European Council today approved the new regulations of the European Parliament on general chargers, which finally finalized the legislative process, which means that by the end of 2024, the USB-C interface will become a mandatory requirement for a series of electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and headphones, and users will no longer need to buy a different charger every time they buy a new mobile phone or similar device. All of these can be recharged using the same charger.

The new rules will force all electronic devices to use the USB-C charging interface, which means that most devices can be charged using the same charger. In addition, to let consumers know exactly what they are buying, the new rule introduces an icon that specifies whether the new device has a charger and a label indicating charging performance.

The new regulation also allows consumers to choose whether to buy new devices with or without chargers, which can not only save consumers money, but also reduce e-waste related to the production, transportation and disposal of chargers. Four years after the new rule comes into effect, the committee will assess whether such sales bundling should be enforced.

CTOnews.com learned that the new rules will apply to a variety of portable devices:

Mobile phone

Tablet computers and e-readers

Digital cameras and video game consoles

Headphones, earplugs and portable speakers

Wireless mouse and keyboard

Portable navigation system

In addition, 40 months after the new rules come into effect, all laptops will be covered by the new rules.

In 2020, EU consumers bought about 420 million electronic devices, with an average of three chargers per person. Still, 38% of consumers reported problems charging their devices because there was no compatible charger available.

In order to solve these problems, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a universal charger on September 23, 2021. On January 26, 2022, less than six months after the Council began negotiations, member States unanimously agreed on the Council's position on the new rules for common chargers. On June 7, 2022, the Council and the European Parliament reached an interim agreement on the new rules for general chargers, which were approved by representatives of EU member states on June 29, 2022.

The legislative bill was passed after the Council approved the position of the European Parliament today. After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, it will be published in the official Gazette of the European Union and will enter into force 20 days after the announcement. The new rules will take effect 24 months after they come into effect.

Both Tianfeng International analyst Guo Mingyi and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman say Apple is testing a version of iPhone with a USB-C interface instead of a Lightning interface. Guo Mingyi believes that Apple will switch from iPhone to USB-C from the iPhone 15 series in 2023, and then transition to AirPods and other accessories.

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