Selular.ID – Last week, the European Parliament required all small and medium-sized consumer electronic devices to be equipped with a uniform charging port, using USB-C.
Now open letters from two US Senators to the Secretary of Commerce urging similar policies in the US.
The letter, drafted by Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, expresses the need to adopt standard charging ports, citing environmental damage due to electronic waste, economic disruption for consumers, and the planned obsolescence of consumer electronics.
The European Union (EU) has just passed a landmark law requiring electronics manufacturers to adopt standard chargers for mobile devices across Europe. 1 We commend the Ministry of Commerce for the steps it has taken to address this issue, 2 and we urge you to follow in the EU’s footsteps by developing a comprehensive strategy to tackle unnecessary consumer costs, reduce e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the purchasing process. new electronics.
The letter explains custom chargers can be a ‘burden’ and innovation should benefit consumers and “shouldn’t hurt them, burden them with incompatible accessories, and force them to buy a different charger for each device they own.”
Also Read: Not Only iPhones, Europe Requires All Electronic Devices to Use USB Type-C Ports
EU legislation comes into force in the fall of 2024 and will require all small and medium electronics to use USB-C charging ports.
This includes all smartphones, tablets, portable speakers, e-readers, portable game consoles, cameras, and headphones.
Laptops will also be under this new law, but it won’t take effect until 40 months after the law takes effect for small electronics.
The letter concluded, “we urge you to coordinate with offices and agencies across the Department of Commerce to develop a comprehensive plan that will protect consumers and the environment by addressing the general lack of US charging standards.”
Also Read: Europe Requires Uniform Cell Phone Charger Holes, Then Apple?
Apple is clearly the company most affected by this policy change.
The company has reportedly been testing a USB-C charging port for future iPhones, though it’s unclear if it will arrive with the iPhone 2023 or iPhone 2024.
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