All EU devices to use a common charger port in major setback for Apple
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In a major setback for Apple the European Commission has issued a directive calling for all EU mobile phones, tablets and headphones to use the same charger.
The European Union executive said the move will bring environmental benefits as well as saving European citizens an estimated €250m (£214m) each year.
The directive will mandate the use of USB-C ports for all devices, forcing Apple to forego its lightening charger ports on products sold in the EU.
European commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: “European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger.”
Apple hit back at the policy change, saying “we remain concerned that 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.”
The decision comes after research found that unused chargers pile up to 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year in the EU with €2.4bn spent on standalone chargers.
Despite consumers owning around three mobile phone chargers on average, of which they use two on a regular basis, 38 per cent of consumers report having experienced problems charging their mobile phone because available chargers were incompatible.
Manufacturers will be given a transition period of 2 years to bring their products in line with the directive.
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