Starting as early as 2024, all smartphones, tablets, scanners, and e-readers among other devices will have to switch to USB-C ports in the European Union (EU). The action has now become official after the EU finalized a date wherein all the OEMs selling their devices anywhere in the region will have to abide.
EU finalized Common Charger for All Devices From December 28, 2024
According to MySmartPrice, the Common Charged Directive Journal has finalized a date i.e. December 28, 2024, wherein all smartphones, portable speakers, keyboards, mice, and headphones among other devices will have to use USB-C ports only. The list also includes tablets, portable navigation systems, portable speakers, earbuds, handheld video game consoles, and headsets as well.
At the said date, manufacturers will have to equip their electronic devices with a USB-C port. However, there’s a catch. The said directives apply to devices with wired charging. OEMs still have options to remove the charging port altogether and use wireless charging as their primary and sole mode of charging devices should they decide not to abide by the directives.
Moving further, devices with charging speeds above 15W will also get USB Power Delivery (PD) Support. It will allow these devices to charge uniformly without any hassle.
As of now, December 28, 2024, is reserved for smartphones and other devices. Laptop OEMs will have to abide by the mandate starting from April 28, 2026, which is its deadline.
India May Adopt the USB-C Mandate Too
It’s not just the EU but India too is considering using a common charger across tablets, smartphones, and laptops. It undertook an inter-ministerial meeting between the Department of Consumer Affairs as well as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other associations where they decided to go through with the same charging port across devices. The timeline as it is known as of now is 2024 for smartphones, cameras, and tablets while for laptop OEMs, it will be 2026.
Apple Will Make A Switch By 2023
Unlike any other Android brand out there, Apple hasn’t used any other charging port except its proprietary lightning port. It will be a 360° move for Apple from lightning to USB-C port and it is likely to make the switch as early as next year. Apple iPhone 15 series are speculated to become the first batch of devices with USB-C ports. According to Greg Joswiak (Apple Marketing Lead), they will have to switch (comply) as they have no choice.
