European Lawmakers Want to Force All Smartphones to Have Same Charging Port, Apple Defends Lightning [Updated]

With goals of reducing waste and increasing convenience, European lawmakers today will debate whether all smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices should have a standardized charging port such as USB-C.

At least some members of the European Parliament want "binding measures" that ensure one type of charger is compatible with all portable devices, as the European Commission's previous approach of merely "encouraging" tech companies to develop a standardized solution has "fell short of the co-legislators' objectives," according to a briefing on the European Parliament website today.


The proposed charging ports for portable devices include Micro-USB, USB-C, and the Lightning connector.

Nearly a year ago, Apple said regulations that would force all smartphones to have the same charging port would "freeze innovation," 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. This would result in an unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconvenience users. To be forced to disrupt this huge market of customers will have consequences far beyond the stated aims of the Commission.

Beginning in 2009, Apple led industry efforts to work together to promote a common charging solution. And with the emergence of USB Type-C, we have committed alongside six other companies that all new smartphone models will leverage this standard through a connector or a cable assembly. We believe this collective effort by many of the industry’s leading companies is better for innovation, better for consumers and better for the environment.

A vote on the matter will be held in a forthcoming parliament session. While some members want the policy to be regulated, forcing companies like Apple to comply, there is still a possibility that it will be implemented with a voluntary approach, which could simply be ignored, according to the European Commission.

European lawmakers have been considering similar regulations since at least 2009.

Update Jan 17: The Verge notes that additional information released in relation to this week's debate clarifies that the proposed regulations relate to power adapters rather than the devices themselves, with Apple already in line with the industry by providing USB-A and USB-C chargers.