About two years from now, it is expected that charging methods for almost all portable electronic devices, including iPhones, will be unified in Europe.
Through a vote at the plenary session of the European Parliament, the European Parliament has passed a bill aimed at unifying the standard for charging terminals for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU to the 'USB-C' type by the end of 2024. said.
USB-C type is currently mostly applied to device chargers for Android.
Congress plans to expand the mandatory application to laptops from the spring of 2026.
The initiative, the world's first, is part of an effort to reduce electronic waste while ensuring sustainable choices for consumers, Congress said.
In particular, from the point of view of consumers, the EU expects that if the chargers are unified, they will save 250 million euros (about 355 billion won) in total.
Apple, which adheres to its own charging port rather than the USB-C type, is expected to be most directly affected by the promotion of this measure.
Apple has already expressed concern that the EU's push for unification of charging terminals will hinder innovation and generate a large amount of electronic waste.
Foreign media, citing experts, said that other types of devices, including portable e-books and wireless earphones, are also included in the measures, so other companies such as Samsung and China's Huawei are also likely to be affected.