European Union Mandates USB-C for Smartphones Irking Apple with Latest Ruling

In a move ostensibly aimed at making life easier for consumers, the European Union has decided that variants like Apple’s Lightning connector just add needless waste and tack on an extra sort of “tax” to users who get stuck with the proprietary cord.

Cupertino argues that all of this is a bit of bureaucratic overreach that potentially stifles innovation in the tech sector. As PetaPixel points out, this move will push Apple to not only use USB-C instead of its own Lightning cables but also include a charging brick with its phones – something the company hasn’t done for a while. While you might think that including a charging brick would go against the stated aim of reducing electronic waste, the apparent tradeoff here will be that the charger will be useful across multiple devices instead of some bespoke product capable of only charging one thing.

“Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charging device and cable every time they purchase a new device, and can use one single charger for all of their small and medium-sized portable electronic devices,” the European Parliament stated when announcing the changes.

The new regulations don’t come into effect right away which means that Apple has between now and 2024 to try and change minds. And it isn’t just Apple products but a wide swath of electronic devices in the European Union that will fall under this set of rules.

Do you think a universal standard for connecting cables is a good thing? Or do you agree with Apple that such bureaucratic mandates stifle innovation? Let us know what you think of the EU’s move in the comments.

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[PetaPixel]