EU to Require One Connector for Phones, Electronics in Europe
2022-06-09
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1A new proposed rule from the European Parliament and Council means that American company Apple will have to change the charging connector for its devices sold in Europe.
2The rule says that the USB Type-C charging connection will be required on popular electronic devices by the autumn of 2024.
3The rule will affect mobile telephones, tablet computers, cameras, listening devices, and other electronics.
4In addition, laptop computers will be required to have the connections 40 months after the rule takes effect.
5The political intervention came after companies did not agree on one connector for all their products.
6The European Commission said the change would make life easier for buyers and save them money.
7The European Parliament has been trying to require all companies to use only one charging connection or port for more than 10 years.
8Lawmakers said people were angry that they had to switch between cables to use Apple or Android-based products.
9Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said the rule would save 267 million dollars for buyers.
10He added that the proposed law will let new technology develop without harming buyers or causing problems in the market.
11A European Commission study said that USB Type-C ports are in 29 percent of mobile phones sold now.
12The European Parliament released a statement saying that,
13"By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU."
14The charging port on the iPhone, called the Lightning cable, is used in about 21 percent of phones.
15In the past, Apple has warned that a law requiring one kind of charging port would harm new technology development.
16The company has also noted that throwing away old cables would create more unnecessary waste.
17Researcher Angelo Zino said that the proposed law could cause iPhone sales to increase when it goes into effect.
18The law could cause Europeans to buy new phones instead of keeping older ones with different ports.
19"Existing consumers can still use the Lightning cable, but maybe there would be less purchases of older products..." he said.
20Bloomberg news service recently reported that Apple is already designing an iPhone with a USB Type-C charging port.
21It could come out next year.
22However, the EU could make buyers angry if it bans the sale of older phone models.
23For example, older phone models normally become less costly when new models are released.
24If older models are no longer available, buyers would be forced to buy new, more costly devices.
25Although Apple has warned against such laws in the past, some experts predict that the law could increase Apple's stock value.
26The European Parliament and the European Council must now officially approve the rule later this year.
27It will go into effect two years after that.
28I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
1A new proposed rule from the European Parliament and Council means that American company Apple will have to change the charging connector for its devices sold in Europe. 2The rule says that the USB Type-C charging connection will be required on popular electronic devices by the autumn of 2024. 3The rule will affect mobile telephones, tablet computers, cameras, listening devices, and other electronics. In addition, laptop computers will be required to have the connections 40 months after the rule takes effect. 4The political intervention came after companies did not agree on one connector for all their products. The European Commission said the change would make life easier for buyers and save them money. 5The European Parliament has been trying to require all companies to use only one charging connection or port for more than 10 years. Lawmakers said people were angry that they had to switch between cables to use Apple or Android-based products. 6Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said the rule would save 267 million dollars for buyers. He added that the proposed law will let new technology develop without harming buyers or causing problems in the market. 7A European Commission study said that USB Type-C ports are in 29 percent of mobile phones sold now. The European Parliament released a statement saying that, "By autumn 2024, USB Type-C will become the common charging port for all mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the EU." The charging port on the iPhone, called the Lightning cable, is used in about 21 percent of phones. 8In the past, Apple has warned that a law requiring one kind of charging port would harm new technology development. The company has also noted that throwing away old cables would create more unnecessary waste. 9Researcher Angelo Zino said that the proposed law could cause iPhone sales to increase when it goes into effect. The law could cause Europeans to buy new phones instead of keeping older ones with different ports. 10"Existing consumers can still use the Lightning cable, but maybe there would be less purchases of older products..." he said. 11Bloomberg news service recently reported that Apple is already designing an iPhone with a USB Type-C charging port. It could come out next year. 12However, the EU could make buyers angry if it bans the sale of older phone models. For example, older phone models normally become less costly when new models are released. If older models are no longer available, buyers would be forced to buy new, more costly devices. 13Although Apple has warned against such laws in the past, some experts predict that the law could increase Apple's stock value. 14The European Parliament and the European Council must now officially approve the rule later this year. It will go into effect two years after that. 15I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 16Foo Yun Chee reported this story for Reuters. Matthew Caputo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17__________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19charge -v. to put electricity into an electronic device so that it can operate 20cable - (n.) a group of wires or glass fibers, covered in plastic or rubber that is used to carry electricity or electrical signals 21What do you think about charging cables? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.