Lawmakers in the European Union will discuss whether smartphone charging ports should be standardized by tech companies.
Standard Port
Back in 2014 the EU called for a common charger to be created as part of the Radio Equipment Directive. But the efforts fell short of the legislation’s objectives and now MEPs want binding measures.
By having a standardized port across devices, the goal is to reduce waste and increase convenience. The ports that the lawmakers proposed include USB-C, Micro USB, and Apple’s Lightning port.
Speaking of Apple, the company said last year that regulations in this area would “freeze innovation” and be bad for the environment, and be “unnecessarily disruptive for customers.”
More than 1 billion Apple devices have shipped using a Lightning connector in addition to an entire ecosystem of accessory and device manufacturers who use Lightning to serve our collective customers. We want to ensure that any new legislation will not result in the shipment of any unnecessary cables or external adaptors with every device, or render obsolete the devices and accessories used by many millions of Europeans and hundreds of millions of Apple customers worldwide.
Apple could also choose to forgo the port and make future iPhones completely wireless. Or at least that’s what certain rumors suggest.
Further Reading
[Apple Dropping iPhone Lightning Port for USB-C? I Don’t Think So]
[Adobe Finally Sends One of Its Last Legacy Products Into The Cloud]