EU to Standardize Charging Ports in 2024... Apple Also Required to Adopt USB-C

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] The European Union (EU) is standardizing the charging ports and accessories of electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets, to USB-C connectors due to environmental and resource recycling concerns. The biggest impact of this standardization will be on Apple, which has used proprietary charging ports. Major smartphone and tablet manufacturers, including Samsung Electronics, have been using USB-C ports for years, so there will be little change for them.

According to foreign media on the 5th, the EU Parliament passed a bill to unify the USB-C connector based on Android as the standard charging port within the EU. This is because various charging standards have led to unnecessary chargers piling up in drawers, causing environmental pollution. The EU Parliament explained that the background of the charging port standardization is a decision to reduce waste and increase consumer convenience. Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission, said, "Standardizing chargers can save 250 million euros (350 billion KRW) annually." Since Apple is the only global smartphone company using its proprietary Lightning connector, the market views this bill as a regulation targeting Apple.

Apple is expected to change the charging port of all iPhone 15 models from the Lightning port to USB-C. Apple first introduced the Lightning connector with the release of the iPhone 5 in September 2012. While Apple has switched to USB-C charging ports for the latest MacBooks and iPads, it has insisted on using the proprietary Lightning connector for iPhones for 10 years. Apple cited the advantages of the Lightning connector as its small port size, strong durability, and convenient data synchronization. Foreign media such as Forbes reported that with the introduction of USB-C, data transfer speeds will reach 40,000 megabits (Mb) per second. This is 83 times faster than the speed of the iPhone 14 Pro line (480 Mb per second). The bill also applies to electronic readers, wireless earphones, and earbuds along with mobile phones, meaning Samsung and Huawei will also need to change the charging ports of some products.

In the European smartphone market, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy and Apple iPhone maintain high sales volumes. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung ranked first in smartphone sales in the second quarter, accounting for 35% of the total market share. Apple followed in second place with 25%. USB-C has become an international standard. Not only in Europe but also in Brazil and India, bills to unify charging ports for electronic products have been proposed.