By December 28, 2024, all phone manufacturers must comply with the European Union (EU) mandate and adopt a single charging cable for mobile devices.
European Union authorities had previously agreed that, by autumn 2024, all portable electronic devices should use a USB Type-C charger.
The law was officially published in the EU Official Journal, including a precise date for when it will enter into force – December 2024.
After a certain date, companies like Apple will be banned from selling their iPhones in the EU unless they use a generic instead of an Apple-made charger.
Apple stands out as the biggest leader in its industry, introducing a specially designed charging plug exclusively for some of its products. For example, the iPhone series uses Apple's own Lightning cable
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Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, confidently informed the Wall Street Journal that the company will follow its legal obligations.
The new EU directive that will be implemented must be applied to a range of “medium and small portable electronic devices”, which include, among others, mobile phones, tablets, headphones and portable game consoles.
The deadline set by the EU has created a further point of tension over Brexit, as the EU regulation may also apply to Northern Ireland, according to both EU and UK.
According to a December 2021 parliamentary report, “the new requirements may also apply to devices sold in Northern Ireland under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol to the Brexit, potentially causing product standards to diverge with the rest of the UK.”
Under the treaty, Northern Ireland will remain part of the EU's single market for goods, while the United Kingdom will remain outside.
The UK and the EU are at an impasse over the restructuring of the Northern Ireland protocol, with no solution in sight.
In June, the UK government made it clear that it was not considering implementing a universal requirement for charging cables for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices, as the EU has done.
Source of information: bbc.com
