Is the end of Lightning cables coming to an end? The EU will present a bill on the use of uniform charging connectors

Next month, the European Commission will present a proposal for legislation to force smartphone manufacturers to use a single charging connector. Legislators in the European Parliament last year supported this change, arguing benefits for users and benefits for the environment. The Euractiv portal addressed the topic.

A 2018 study found that half of smartphones sold in the European Union included a micro USB B cable, while 29% of smartphones had a USB C cable and 21% a Lightning cable.

The European Union has been trying to introduce a single charging connector for more than ten years

The European Commission has been pushing for the use of uniform charging cables among smartphone manufacturers for more than a decade. Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Nokia signed a voluntary memorandum in 2011 to unify the charging cables for smartphones released this year.

The Commission’s efforts have been largely successful. The manufacturers of Android smartphones switched to micro USB B connectors and later to USB C. Subsequently, it tried to catch up with the solution in 2018, but failed. Now, obviously, it’s about trying again.

Only Apple remains, but it opposes the change

Since Android smartphone manufacturers already use one type of connector, only Apple remains with its Lightning port. He does not approve of the effort to introduce a single connector on all smartphones and claims that it will hurt innovation and result in a lot of electronic waste. In addition, it is unnecessary to introduce new legislation because of this, as most modern smartphones already use the USB C port.