EU to Require One Connector for Phones, Electronics in Europe

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A 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.

The rule says that the USB Type-C charging connection will be required on popular electronic devices by the autumn of 2024.

The 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.

The political intervention¹ 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.

The 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.

Commissioner² 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.

A 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.

In the past, Apple has warned that a law requiring one kind of charging port would harm new technology development. The company has also noted³ that throwing away old cables would create more unnecessary waste.

Researcher 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.

"Existing consumers can still use the Lightning cable, but maybe there would be less purchases of older products..." he said.

Bloomberg news service recently reported that Apple is already designing an iPhone with a USB Type-C charging port. It could come out next year.

However, the EU could make buyers angry if it bans the sale of older phone models. For example, older phone models normally become less costly⁴ when new models are released. If older models are no longer available, buyers would be forced to buy new, more costly devices.

Although Apple has warned against such laws in the past, some experts predict that the law could increase Apple's stock value.

The European Parliament and the European Council must now officially approve the rule later this year. It will go into effect two years after that.

Words in This Story

charge –v. to put electricity into an electronic device so that it can operate

cable – (n.) a group of wires or glass fibers, covered in plastic or rubber that is used to carry electricity or electrical signals

1 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。