Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

One charger to rule them all? EU announces plan to impose universal phone cable in blow to Apple

One charger to rule them all? EU announces plan to impose universal phone cable in blow to Apple

In a setback for Apple, the European Union has announced plans to standardize chargers for smartphones and other small electronic devices, giving manufacturers a two-year transition period in which to fall in line.
Phones are currently served by three main chargers; Apple’s ‘Lightning’ connector, USB micro-B ports widely used on Android mobile phones, and the modern USB-C ones that the EU’s proposal favors.

Implementing a universal charging cable would combat the problem of electronic waste, allowing people to use their existing chargers when changing to a new device, the European Commission argued.

“European consumers have been frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers,” EU Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

Apple – whose products typically use custom charging ports – has long countered that such mandates would impede innovation and lead to even more pollution. The tech giant, however, has already switched to USB-C charging ports on newer models of its iPad and laptop computers.

“Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” Apple responded.

The EU has pushed back on that argument, however. “It is not against innovation. It is for European consumers, it is not against anyone,” Thierry Breton, the internal market commissioner, said.

According to an EC impact study from 2019, about half of the chargers sold with mobile phones across the EU in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB-C connector, with the Lightning connector accounting for 21%.

The proposed rules will apply to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles, while other products like earbuds, smartwatches and fitness trackers were reportedly not considered due to technical reasons.

The proposal will also cover fast-charging speeds, meaning that manufacturers offering rapid charging features on their products will be required to ensure that battery power recovery rates remain uniform across devices.

For over a decade, the EC has had a voluntary agreement regarding cables in place with manufacturers, but says the current situation is too “inconvenient” as European consumers spend roughly €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) yearly on standalone chargers that are not bundled with their devices.

“We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger,” Vestager said.

The proposal still needs to be debated by the European Parliament and member states before coming into effect, giving companies “ample time” to comply with the new rules. But Apple said the 24-month transition period could affect current sales.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
×