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   [39]Tech by VICE

Europe Just Voted in Favor of Making iPhone and Android Use the Same Charger

The move makes it more likely the iPhone will have to use USB-C, and would
cut down on lots of charging cable waste.

   by [40]Matthew Gault
   Jan 31 2020, 4:00pm
   [41]Share[42]Tweet[43]Snap

   Image: Getty Images

   Every time you buy a new device—whether its a smartphone, e-reader, or
   smartwatch—you get a new charging cable for it. Even now, thousands of
   old charging devices sit in the junk drawer of homes all over the
   world, collecting dust. Europe wants to set a standard in the tech
   industry. It imagines a world where the customer never has to buy a new
   charger because their old charge isn’t compatible with their new
   device.

   The European Parliament has [44]voted 582-40 in favor of a resolution
   urging lawmakers to set a standard for charging cables.

   “Continuing fragmentation of the market for chargers for mobile phones
   and other small and medium-sized electronic devices translates into an
   increase in e-waste and consumer frustration,” [45]the resolution said.

   For the resolution to become a law, the European Commission would have
   to draft a law and vote on it in July. But the idea of adopting a
   charging cable standard has overwhelming support in Europe, as
   evidenced by the 582-40 vote. With some exceptions, chargers use either
   USB-C, micro-USB, or Apple’s Lightning Cable. The vast majority of the
   industry uses micro-USB and is slowly adopting USB-C.

   The legislation would mostly affect Apple’s proprietary Lightning
   Cable.

   "We believe regulation that forces conformity across the type of
   connector built into all smartphone stifles innovation rather than
   encouraging it, and would harm consumers in Europe and the economy as a
   whole,” Apple said in a statement published in the [46]Financial Times.
   “We hope the Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not
   restrict the industry's ability to innovate and bring exciting new
   technology to customers."

   The EU resolution pointed to e-waste as one of the biggest reasons the
   industry needs to adop a charging cable standard. “50 million metric
   tons of e-waste is generated globally per year, with an average of more
   than 6 kg per person,” [47]it said. “Total e-waste generation in Europe
   in 2016 was 12.3 million metric tonnes, equivalent to 16.6 kg on
   average per inhabitant...this represents an unnecessary environmental
   footprint that can be reduced.”

   One of the most ubiquitous pieces of e-waste is device chargers. We
   seem them as disposable because every new device comes with one. Why
   not just toss the old one out and let it rot in a landfill? Every new
   upgrade means a new charger. But that may be about to change.

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