On December 28, EU Directive 2022/2380 came into force in the European Union on the use of a single USB-C charger connector standard for smartphones and any other small electronic gadgets, adopted in order to reduce electronic waste and eliminate market fragmentation.
«It’s time for a single charger. From today, USB-C becomes the unified European standard for electronic devices. This means an increase in the quality of charging technology, a decrease in the amount of electronic waste and fewer problems in finding a charger,” the European Commission noted on the social network X.
As a random check conducted by The Verge showed, Apple smartphones of the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 series equipped with a proprietary Lightning charging port are no longer sold in Europe. In particular, the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and 14 Plus smartphones, as well as the Magic Keyboard with a Lightning port, were removed from sale in Apple online stores in the Netherlands, France, Norway and Germany. However, they can still be purchased in the US and other countries outside the 30 EU member states.
According to sources, the new iPhone SE with USB-C and a number of upgrades, including an OLED display, will be released in 2025. In addition to unifying the charging connector for gadgets, the directive also requires that devices with a battery offered in the EU support fast charging with a power of at least 15 W. If this requirement is not met, the device is subject to a ban on sales within the block.
Manufacturers should also sell gadgets without a charger included, giving the consumer the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to continue using the old charger or purchase a new one.
From today, equipment offered on the market must be marked indicating the presence or absence of a charging adapter in the kit. The label must also indicate the power range supported by the device.
As a reminder, the requirement for laptops to have a USB-C charging port will come into force on April 28, 2026.
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