It says on most Apple device boxes and products: “Designed by Apple in California”. For its new iPhone 15, though, the Cupertino-based tech major ought to perhaps tweak that catchphrase a bit, given that the device, launched on September 12, incorporates a key design change that has been foisted on it from outside: Brussels, to be precise.
The new iPhone range features Apple’s first new charging technology in more than a decade — a USB-C charging port instead of the company’s proprietary ‘lightning’ connector. And this design change has been forced on Apple by European Union (EU) rules that require smartphones and other electronic devices to have a USB-C port by the end of 2024.
Apple had initially fought back, claiming the rule would “stifle innovation” and “increase” wastage, but ended up complying well before the deadline kicked in, not just in the EU, but across geographies.
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Who’s behind the change, and what’s the argument for it?
Alex Agius Saliba, a Maltese social democrat and the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who spearheaded the work in Brussels on the common chargers since early last year, termed the move by Apple as “a historic change”.
“We have not only changed the culture of charging in Europe but have changed the culture worldwide. Apple phones will now be equipped with USB-C connectors not only in the European market, but also far beyond Europe’s borders,” he told The Indian Express.
“The lack of a single charger solution in the last decade has piled up to 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year from disposed and unused chargers, and more than 2 billion euros spent annually on standalone chargers. Not to mention the lack of interoperability between different brands or models, poor safety requirements, costs for adaptors and proprietary chargers, unpredictable charging times, and failed or lost chargers,” he added.
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Exactly how big a deal is this change by Apple, then?
Apple made the last major change in its charging ports back in 2012, when it introduced the lightning proprietary tech. And this tech was widely expected to soldier on — had it not been for the spirited EU pushback.
With the USB-C now featuring across its four new iPhone 15 models, these ports will be the same as those found on Android phones, most Windows laptops, Macbooks and iPads, and pretty much every other consumer gadget or device.
MEP Saliba said the success of the single charger for small and medium electronic devices provides a learning that can be used to “multiply this success in other industries and devices”. The EU’s common charger rules have the potential to set a global standard, he asserted, on the lines of the EU’s data protection rules rolled out in 2018 that have been customised and adapted by more than 100 countries.
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And how long did it take for the EU to attain this goal?
The 27-nation bloc’s effort to solve the common problem of people’s drawers being full of multiple chargers and cables started back in 2009, when it attempted to nudge Apple and other smartphone manufacturers toward a harmonised charging port by way of voluntary industry agreements. Apple emerged as the key holdout ever since the 2012 launch of its lightning technology.
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In September 2021, the European Commission issued binding rules that mandated a USB-C port for smartphones, tablets, and a range of other devices, citing consumer convenience and the need to cut down on electronic waste. A common charger is “common sense”, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a subsequent blog post.
“Although some companies introduced voluntary initiatives that decreased the number of charger types, they were insufficient to meet the EU’s objectives on reducing e-waste,” the EU said in an October 2021 note.
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The European Parliament and the EU countries reached a provisional agreement on the legislation on June 7, 2022. The European Parliament approved the agreement on October 4, 2022.
After it was formally approved by the European Council, the EU countries had two years to introduce the rules into national laws. This would not apply to products put on the market before it came into force.
The devices included in the legislation were mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld video game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, earbuds, and portable navigation devices. Laptops had a longer timeline. Also, under the new law, consumers were to have the option to buy a new device either with or without a charging device.
Where does India stand with the move to harmonise charging solutions?
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified standards for Type-C chargers and the government is in the process of prescribing two common types of charging ports for mobiles and wearable electronic devices.
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The Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make USB-C a standard charging port for all electronic devices by March 2025, which is six months after the passage of the EU deadline. Given that electronic manufacturers have a globally integrated supply chain, this is not seen as difficult, and industry is on board, a government official said.
