Experts have tipped the law to have a domino effect for Apple products worldwide.
European Android users have won a landslide victory over their Apple-worshiping counterparts, and the European Commission announced last week that smartphones and similar devices sold within EU borders will require a port of call. universal use USB-C charger.
It marks the beginning of the end for Apple’s Lightning Connector, which has proven to be a major point of difference (and frustration) for smartphone users around the world since its introduction in 2012.
Amateur readers will quickly realize that these laws only apply in the EU.
However, experts have tipped the law to have a domino effect for Apple products worldwide, which means that in the near future you will be able to always Be sure to find a replacement phone charger somewhere.
“There have been complaints about blockages in the past: if you had an Apple product, you were stuck with Apple products, but this new rule gives consumers a chance to switch to other technologies,” said Julie Abramson, curator. of the Productivity Commission. news.com.au
“However, one of the problems with mandatory product design requirements is that they have to be weighed against the impact of innovation.”
The EU Commission has said the change will drive innovation, as well as save money, space and reduce e-waste.
The ruling will apply to all smartphones, tablets, headphones, cameras, e-readers, portable game consoles, keyboards, and computer mice.
The EU Commission also said that EU consumers spend around € 2.4 billion ($ 3.58 billion) a year on standalone chargers, and switching to a universal cable is expected to save $ 358 million a year.
Technology makers will have until the end of 2024 to make the changes, while laptop companies will have 40 months to make the transition.
Technology companies have until the end of 2024 to make sure that the specified products sold in the EU have C ports.
In response, Apple has stated that the mandate will in fact increase e-waste and slow down developments in the world of technology.
“We are concerned that strict regulation that requires only one type of connector will stifle innovation, rather than encourage it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world,” Apple said last year.
While the change is a seismic change in the world of smartphones, Apple’s move away from the Lightning cable was already on the move, with its MacBooks and newer iPad models now using a C port.
It is estimated that one third of smartphone users in Europe currently use iPhones.
However, if Apple chooses to remove the Lightning cable, more than half of Australian smartphone users will be affected, meaning now may be a good time to get some USB-C adapters.
It will mean that millions of Lightning cables will go to waste in the near future, and experts are urging consumers to dispose of their vintage chargers in dedicated e-waste containers.
“There’s a lot of valuable material in Lightning cables to use,” said Warren Overton, executive director of the Recycling Platform of Australia and New Zealand (ANZRP). ABC.
“We save more than a tonne of carbon dioxide per tonne of e-waste we recycle,” he added, speculating that switching to a universal charger should reduce “in theory” e-waste.
Originally published in Europe, it has announced the transition to a universal charging cable, and this is bad news for iPhone users worldwide.