A few weeks ago, the European Commission and Parliament agreed on the adoption of a law that will oblige producers of consumer electronics, i.e. smartphones, to use a standardized connector. The law is due to take effect in 2024. It seems that the initiative has now found a response in the US: US senators last week sent a letter to the Department of Commerce urging them to introduce a similar regulation here.
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“In our increasingly digitized society, consumers often have to pay for new specialized chargers and accessories for their various devices. It's not just an inconvenience; it can also be a financial burden. The average consumer owns roughly three cell phone chargers, and approximately 40% of them report that they were unable to charge their cell phone on at least one occasion because the available chargers were not compatible,” wrote Senators Bernard Sanders, Edward J. Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren, among others, in a letter to the Department of Commerce.
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The letter refers to the upcoming EU regulation, according to which consumer electronics manufacturers will be obliged to include a USB-C connector in their devices by 2024. And yes, it will mainly concern iPhones, which traditionally use the Lightning connector. The letter doesn't directly mention USB-C, but if the US department decides to come up with a similar law, this expanded port is offered as an obvious choice. Apple has long been outspoken against the move to USB-C for iPhones, despite using it for its other devices. In the case of iPhones, he argues that it would "impede innovation." However, he never elaborated on how a certain port relates to innovation, as he did not further innovate it after its introduction in the iPhone 5.
