EU Committee To Introduce Legislation Requiring Common Smartphone Chargers

One of the biggest sources of irritation for many smartphone users who switch between devices is that many smartphones out there use different types of chargers. This is particularly true of Apple smartphones compared to Android devices. Most Android smartphones and tablets use a common micro USB charger.Apple on the other hand uses either a proprietary Lighting connector or an older 30-pin connector depending on how old the product is. That means a person who owns an older iPad, a new iPhone 5S, and an Android smartphone for the office has to carry three different chargers. It looks like the days of these mismatched charger cables is coming to an end in Europe.

A decision was recently made by the internal market and consumer protection committee of the European Union, with a unanimous vote, to introduce legislation that requires a single charger system be used on devices sold in the country. This decision won't affect all smartphone makers out there because micro USB chargers are common amongst almost all Android devices and many other smartphones as well.

The real impact will be for Apple, which still uses proprietary charging standards. Requiring a standard charger won't necessarily mean Apple redesigns its devices, it could simply decide to include an adapter in the box for Europe only. Apple really likes to use proprietary connectors and without similar legislation in the US requiring standard chargers, I don't see a massive change for Apple to suit Europe only.

SOURCE: Android Community