There was no such clear indication that Apple would comply with the new European universal charger rule. The confirmation came from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, during a The Wall Street Journal.
In an effort to combat e-waste, the European Union will adopt the USB-C input, which is now found in the vast majority of Android smartphones, as a standard for chargers. So, rather than needing several different chargers, the idea is that the consumer only needs one cable of the same type to charge different equipment, from smartphones to tablets or cameras.
There are quite a few devices outside this rule: smartwatch chargers and other wearables, due to the smaller dimensions of these products. The change will be mandatory in 2024.
At a Wall Street Journal conference, Jozoyak was asked about the topic. Even when the proposal for this universal charger was under discussion, Apple had already shown that it was against the idea. After all, the company uses Lightning inputs on iPhones. Thus, a change in legislation would mean a change in phones sold in the European Union.
“Obviously we’re going to have to comply,” he explained during the event, as Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, accompanied him. “But it would have been better for clients if a government had not taken such a directive stance.”
“I don’t mind governments saying what they want to achieve, because we have very smart engineers to technically get what they want to achieve,” he said in context, but noted “they’ve been in this discussion for over ten years”.
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“They have good intentions,” the Apple executive said of the EU’s position, but noted that ten years ago, the EU’s intention was to get micro-USB in phones. “And that kind no longer exists.”
It remains to be seen whether the European rule will push Apple to adopt this type of charger in Europe only or if there will be a complete alternative in all markets.
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