EU forces universal charging: USB-C era begins

The European Union (EU) has made it mandatory for all new electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets, and cameras, to feature a USB-C charging port starting today.

This new regulation aims to reduce e-waste by standardizing charging ports across devices, making them compatible with USB-C, Micro USB, and Lightning connectors.

From today, USB-C will be the new standard charging port for portable electronic devices in EU countries. All new smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable gaming consoles, speakers, and keyboards will need to include a USB-C charging port.

Additionally, the fast-charging systems of electronic devices will also need to be compatible.

The USB-C rule will extend to laptops starting April 28, 2026.

The EU approved the single charging port rule in 2022 and gave a two-year grace period for implementation. This regulation, particularly affecting Apple products that previously used different charging ports, has led to the company changing the charging ports of its new devices to USB-C.

Currently, most devices are already charging via USB-C ports, and the same connector is present on headphones, various accessories, and new laptops.