What They Say
Following a recommendation by the European Commission last year, the European Parliament decided to go to an assembly vote over whether to mandate the USB-C connector as a universal charging standard for devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, headphones, handheld game consoles, and portable speakers, but excludes smaller devices like smartwatches.
The aim is to reduce waste, but opponents, including Apple, believe that the move will stifle innovation.
Separately, in Brazil, a judge has awarded more than $1,000 compensation to a consumer that bought an iPhone that did not include a power adaptor, although Apple pointed out that the phone came with a USB-C to Lightning cable that allows the use of PSUs from third parties. The judge said that Apple had “obliged the consumer to purchase a second product of its exclusive manufacture,” calling it an “abusive and illegal commercial practice.”
What We Think
If the Parliament decides to adopt this proposal, which seems likely to me given support by the Commission and the Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, it will then need to be brought into law in each of the EU countries.
I have some sympathy with the view on innovation. In the UK, we are stuck with bulky power plugs that were designed decades ago. In the 1970s, I was in the steel tube business, which used screwed threads that were standardised in the 1920s and amendments to that specification are still the standard, it seems. It’s hard to change these things.
On the other hand, I have boxes of superceded PSUs and charging cables that I hate to see going to waste. Although I must get around to clearing them out! I have had a USB smartphone for over three years and I do like that I can charge my iPad, smartphone, mouse etc with any of the PSUs that I happen to have around, albeit at different speeds. (BR)
