Official: USB-C will be mandatory for phones sold in the EU by Autumn 2024

[Neoxon]

 

Summary

The European Union has reached an agreement to solidify USB-C as the standard in the EU, requiring all device manufacturers to make the switch by Autumn 2024. This not only requires all small & medium devices that can fit a USB-C port to include one (with exceptions only being made for smart watches & fitness trackers, which was mentioned before and effectively kills Apple's portless iPhone dreams), but it also calls for charging speeds being harmonised for devices that support fast charging. While laptops are impacted by this mandate, they won't be required to make the switch until later.

 

Quotes

Quote

European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement on legislation that will force all future smartphones sold in the EU — including Apple's iPhone — to be equipped with the universal USB-C port for wired charging by fall 2024. The rule will also apply to other electronic devices including tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers. Laptops will have to comply with the rule at a later date.

Quote

• One single charger for all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices
• Charging speed harmonised for devices that support fast charging
• Buyers can choose whether to purchase new device with or without charging device 

 

My thoughts

It's about damn time. Apple is already supposed to be switching to USB-C for the iPhone 15 anyway, with their other remaining Lightning-based devices to follow suit (likely before the Autumn 2024 deadline). But it's good to see the port as well as charging itself be standardized within the EU (which will impact the rest of the world as a result). I've talked about this a few times already, so there's not much I can add here that I haven't brought up already. Though the laptop part taking longer is interesting, but this won't impact the MacBooks since they still allow for USB-C charging alongside MagSafe 3.

 

Sources

The Verge, European Parliament, Bloomberg, 9to5Mac 

[captain_to_fire]

23 minutes ago, Neoxon said:

The European Union has reached an agreement to solidify USB-C as the standard in the EU, requiring all device manufacturers to make the switch by Autumn 2024.

Just in time for the iPhone 15/15 Pro launch

[Stahlmann]

Finally Logitech also has a reason to adopt Type-C. Even their high-end peripherals still run on Micro USB.

[CTR640]

Good, very good! Every company with their proprietaty bullshit can now finally fuck off.

[whispous]

21 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

Finally Logitech also has a reason to adopt Type-C. Even their high-end peripherals still run on Micro USB.

My Expensive Master 3 is type-C, and my cheap G435 is type-C?

[whispous]

Just now, CTR640 said:

Good, very good! Every company with their proprietaty bullshit can now finally fuck off.

So basically Apple, at this stage? I guess some supercheap smartphones use Micro? Is any other phone/tablet maker not using C now anyway?

[CTR640]

Just now, whispous said:

So basically Apple, at this stage? I guess some supercheap smartphones use Micro? Is any other phone/tablet maker not using C now anyway?

Every company, not just Apple. I had in the past shit going with proprietary bullshit like the PSVita OLED. And nowadays, yes, some companies still uses the micro-usb and small stores that creates products and so on.

[Rauten]

*European anthem intensifies*

 

Niiiiceeeeeeee!

 

Also very much in favour of this:

Quote

Buyers can choose whether to purchase new device with or without charging device

Very much the best way to go: consumers can decide whether they need it or not, instead of depending on the whims of the manufacturers.

 

6 minutes ago, whispous said:

So basically Apple, at this stage? I guess some supercheap smartphones use Micro? Is any other phone/tablet maker not using C now anyway?

I think I remember Brandon complaining about charging ports in some of his camera ShortCircuits?

Phone-wise, yeah, it's basically Apple and a few super-budget phones that are still on microUSB.

[Stahlmann]

21 minutes ago, whispous said:

My Expensive Master 3 is type-C, and my cheap G435 is type-C?

And my G Pro and G915TKL run on Micro. So does the G Pro X Superlight. Those are all 100€+ products.

 

It's incredible how long they managed to hold on to MicroUsb. They had to design their own special supported connector because they were too stubborn to adopt the all-around better type-c connector.

[BondiBlue]

44 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

Finally Logitech also has a reason to adopt Type-C. Even their high-end peripherals still run on Micro USB.

Interesting, I didn't realize they still used Micro-B on a lot of their products. My $80 (USD) MX Anywhere 3 uses USB-C, but that's the only recent product I've bought from them. 

[TetraSky]

Then, in 10 years, when a new, better USB port comes out for the latest upgrades in speeds, this crap will mess everything up.

[Lightwreather]

7 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Then, in 10 years, when a new, better USB port comes out for the latest upgrades in speeds, this crap will mess everything up.

I think this was metioned in a previous article but the law does account for this and should be updated accordingly.

That said, I could very well be wrong

[TetraSky]

11 minutes ago, J-from-Nucleon said:

I think this was metioned in a previous article but the law does account for this and should be updated accordingly.

That said, I could very well be wrong

Sure hope so, this is why laws about pushing specific standards are a pain. And if no one bothers updating it later... Or more like, do politicians even know anything about technology? Who will tell them it's "time to update it" ? Would anyone even work on a new standard if they figure it wouldn't be adopted anywhere because this law exist?
They do seems to claim like you said that they will update it accordingly... But lets face it, It most likely won't. I have zero trust in politicians to care about this in the future, they got their standard, they probably figure this is good enough forevermore.

Quote

Critics say the new legislation will stifle innovation by de-incentivizing manufacturers from developing improved charging standards. The EU denies this will be the case, and says it will update the legislation as new technology is developed.

“Don’t think we’re setting something in stone for the next 10 years,” said Breton at the press conference. “We have a standard that is being developed, and we have a dedicated team that will keep a close eye on all this and adapt as time goes by. We will evolve.”

 

 

The EU also says this only applies to devices that charges with a cable... Meaning we could see Wireless charging adoption skyrocket in the next few years, with no USB ports to speak of.

Quote

However, the EU’s press release says the new legislation applies to devices “that are rechargeable via a wired cable.” This means that Apple may be able to avoid adding USB-C to its devices by creating a phone that only charges wirelessly (as has been previously rumored). 

 

[LAwLz]

22 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Then, in 10 years, when a new, better USB port comes out for the latest upgrades in speeds, this crap will mess everything up.

Yes, because as we know, laws and regulations in the US are still written on stone tablets and as a result can not be changed. It is impossible to add "USB-C and USB-X" to this legal document if some "USB-X" specification were to be developed.

 

 

10 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Sure hope so, this is why laws about pushing specific standards are a pain.

I feel like there is some type of "survival bias" going on here.

You (and when I say you I mean everyone) don't notice all the laws and regulations when they work, but as soon as something doesn't work in your favour you get annoyed by it. As a result, you might be benefitting from hundreds of laws and regulations without realizing it, and you only notices the bad ones. As a result, it is easy to assume that all are bad.

 

 

16 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

And if no one bothers updating it later...

Dude, we are talking about the standard for smartphones. Do you honestly believe that it will be forgotten?

If there is one regulation that won't be forgotten, it is this one.

 

 

20 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Or more like, do politicians even know anything about technology?

Yes they do.

It's a common misconception and stereotype that "politicians are old people who don't know anything about technology", but in general they know about as much as the general population. But it is important to understand that politicians have help. When they need input they ask experts. Politicians don't just wake up one morning and go "I wish my phone had a different port. I should write a law dictating that it has the port I want!". They will call in experts and work groups, they will ask companies working in the industries, and so on. 

 

 

25 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Who will tell them it's "time to update it" ?

Companies and organisations like the USB-IF.

 

25 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Would anyone even work on a new standard if they figure it wouldn't be adopted anywhere because this law exist?

Yes, because the new port might become the new standard.

Let's be honest, we should have a universal port. I am not sure if you remember how horrible it was when every phone manufacturer had their own type of port. Let's say this law never passed. What organisation would be able to actually make a new de-facto standard? The only organisations and companies big enough to do that are big enough to just ask the EU "hey, how about we update this standard".

 

 

Hell, even if some small company were to start development of a new port, they would probably have to create a consortium regardless of this law. That not only benefits everyone, but it also basically makes it automatically big enough of a force to ask the EU to consider it.

 

Besides, you don't have to develop the port and then ask the EU to approve it. A company might just go "hey, EU, we want to develop this port. If it meets these specifications, would you add it to the approved port list?".

 

 

32 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

They do seems to claim like you said that they will update it accordingly... But lets face it, It most likely won't. I have zero trust in politicians to care about this in the future, they got their standard, they probably figure this is good enough forevermore.

So you're just arguing in bad faith?

 

32 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

The EU also says this only applies to devices that charges with a cable... Meaning we could see Wireless charging adoption skyrocket in the next few years, with no USB ports to speak of.

Dude... At least read the OP. I know barely anyone on this forum reads the sources that gets linked, but reading the summary should not be too much to ask.

You are not allowed to forgo a USB-C port and go wireless-only on devices large enough to fit a USB-C port.

[Kisai]

1 hour ago, whispous said:

So basically Apple, at this stage? I guess some supercheap smartphones use Micro? Is any other phone/tablet maker not using C now anyway?

Lots of stuff. Things ranging from FPGA game consoles to Motion Capture devices.

https://www.ultraleap.com/product/leap-motion-controller/#whatsincluded

https://www.analogue.co/

 

It tends to be a question of "when and why", as the Analogue Pocket is USB-C, but all the previous consoles are not.

Same with the Leapmotion, the existing/current model is USB-A/Micro-B 2.0 cables.

 

But I picked devices here that are niche. There hasn't been a reason to pick USB-C until a device can't be powered by USB 2.0 500mA. So Smartphones and Tablets have exceeded that for nearly a decade. 

 

By having this standard, this means there will be an obstacle into shipping devices that already-exist. But I imagine 90% of the devices out there can be upgraded to USB-C upon the next revision (eg mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.) Most of the remaining devices will likely just not be sold in EU until they build a new version.

 

[Distinctly Average]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

Yes, because as we know, laws and regulations in the US are still written on stone tablets and as a result can not be changed. It is impossible to add "USB-C and USB-X" to this legal document if some "USB-X" specification were to be developed.

 

 

I feel like there is some type of "survival bias" going on here.

You (and when I say you I mean everyone) don't notice all the laws and regulations when they work, but as soon as something doesn't work in your favour you get annoyed by it. As a result, you might be benefitting from hundreds of laws and regulations without realizing it, and you only notices the bad ones. As a result, it is easy to assume that all are bad.

 

Plenty of EU laws have come into force over the years that people were up in arms about but are now totally forgotten. How about the ban on incandescent bulbs for instance. We now benefit loads from LEDs there. Hoovers (vacuum cleaners) were another prime example, a new law arrived limiting their wattage. People argued we would all die from new bacteria living in our carpets. In the real world manufacturers stopped using crappy designs and instead came up with new 800w cleaners to replace their old 2500w ones that actually had less power at the nozzle. People just don’t see that and instead focus on the very few badly advised laws, or laws the media tell them to be up in arms about.

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

 

Dude, we are talking about the standard for smartphones. Do you honestly believe that it will be forgotten?

If there is one regulation that won't be forgotten, it is this one.

 

 

Yes they do.

It's a common misconception and stereotype that "politicians are old people who don't know anything about technology", but in general they know about as much as the general population. But it is important to understand that politicians have help. When they need input they ask experts. Politicians don't just wake up one morning and go "I wish my phone had a different port. I should write a law dictating that it has the port I want!". They will call in experts and work groups, they will ask companies working in the industries, and so on. 

 

 

Companies and organisations like the USB-IF.

 

Yes, because the new port might become the new standard.

Let's be honest, we should have a universal port. I am not sure if you remember how horrible it was when every phone manufacturer had their own type of port. Let's say this law never passed. What organisation would be able to actually make a new de-facto standard? The only organisations and companies big enough to do that are big enough to just ask the EU "hey, how about we update this standard".

 

 

Hell, even if some small company were to start development of a new port, they would probably have to create a consortium regardless of this law. That not only benefits everyone, but it also basically makes it automatically big enough of a force to ask the EU to consider it.

 

Besides, you don't have to develop the port and then ask the EU to approve it. A company might just go "hey, EU, we want to develop this port. If it meets these specifications, would you add it to the approved port list?".

 

 

So you're just arguing in bad faith?

 

Dude... At least read the OP. I know barely anyone on this forum reads the sources that gets linked, but reading the summary should not be too much to ask.

You are not allowed to forgo a USB-C port and go wireless-only on devices large enough to fit a USB-C port.

 

[Senzelian]

3 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Sure hope so, this is why laws about pushing specific standards are a pain. And if no one bothers updating it later... Or more like, do politicians even know anything about technology? Who will tell them it's "time to update it" ? Would anyone even work on a new standard if they figure it wouldn't be adopted anywhere because this law exist?
They do seems to claim like you said that they will update it accordingly... But lets face it, It most likely won't. I have zero trust in politicians to care about this in the future, they got their standard, they probably figure this is good enough forevermore.

Companies and their lobbyists will get them to adopt new standards. Who do you think got them to create this law in the first place? On top of that, if they're smart enough to adjust even as small of a detail as a USB port standard, then they're smart enough to adopt a new one too.

 

It's just as George Carlin said: "Where do people think these politicians come from? They come from american parents, and american families, american homes, american schools, american churches, american businesses and american universities and they're elected by american citizens. This is the best we can do..."

 

I guess in this case you can replace "american" with "european".

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

Finally Logitech also has a reason to adopt Type-C. Even their high-end peripherals still run on Micro USB.

Hopefully! It seems that their business oriented tech has Type C, but their gaming hardware uses Micro USB. I think they assume that gamers don't give a shit about that. 

[porina]

3 hours ago, TetraSky said:

Then, in 10 years, when a new, better USB port comes out for the latest upgrades in speeds, this crap will mess everything up.

USB-C is primarily a mechanical specification, which supports data and/or power parallel to it. The ultimate limit of USB-C will come down to how much data and/or power you can cram down it. There could be backward compatible superset versions in future. Maybe USB C++. No apologies for the pun. USB org have come up with worse names than that!

[HumdrumPenguin]

I guess the iPhone 15 will be the start of the portless phones trend...

[dizmo]

While I can appreciate having one connection type for everything, it's what I currently do myself (and why I haven't tried an iPhone), forcing it by law still rubs me the wrong way. Also I think forcing companies to include one even if they don't want to (portless, for example) is pure BS. 

 

Having companies conform to set perimeters for fast charging also seems like a mis-step. Let them do whatever they want as long as it conforms to USB PD (unless that's what they meant). 

 

Quote

Though the laptop part taking longer is interesting, but this won't impact the MacBooks since they still allow for USB-C charging alongside MagSafe 3.

Allowing companies to have their own charging cable just because they also happen to have a USB C charging method makes no sense. At all. 

[Fasterthannothing]

As much as I'm not a fan of government intervention into the free market the fact that some companies *cough* Apple *cough* refused to use something so widely accepted and just as technically advanced as their proprietary crap is beyond stupid. It shouldn't have taken government intervention to act on something that is beyond common sense from an engineering perspective. Why waste tons of man hours reinventing the wheel?

[volatus146]

i really switched to an iphone 13 this year after being on Android since the Galaxy S3....

RIP all my lightning accessories. only bought a base model iphone 13 to see how id go with apple's ecosystem. was going to upgrade to a 14 pro max, now i dunno what to do, i hate this tiny ass screen 

[Middcore]

4 hours ago, BondiBlue said:

Interesting, I didn't realize they still used Micro-B on a lot of their products. My $80 (USD) MX Anywhere 3 uses USB-C, but that's the only recent product I've bought from them. 

Kind of interesting they put more effort into their cheaper business/productivity line while completely coasting on brand recognition and marketing for their gaming products. "Here's the G Pro Wireless Superlight, it has the same failure-prone switches and still uses micro-B to charge but now it's like 20g lighter and that will totally turn you into Shroud (actually scratch that we brought back the G303 for him). Line up to pay over $100 for it."

[darknessblade]

34 minutes ago, Caroline said:

Apple will come up with some shitty DRM that uses the data pins to prevent the iPhones from working with non-Apple chargers. Or just portless.

If they go the DRM route, they will get FINED by the EU into oblivion.

As this goes against the Regulation.

 

 

[LAwLz]

10 minutes ago, Caroline said:

I've read the text and there are too much loopholes in it. Apple could literally market iPhones as for professional use and get away with it, they could also say the camera modules are meant for professional use and need special charging or some corporate bullshit like that, I mean that's perfectly possible knowing how Apple operates.

I haven't read that part of the proposal but let's say that "professional use" is exempt from this law.

So what? Apple might argue that the iPhone is a device for "professional use", but they are not the ones ruling whether or not it is. An EU court is. It's not enough that Apple just says "we don't have to follow this law because X", a court has to agree with them.