The European Commission will table a legislation next month that mandates a common charger for smartphones and other devices according to a report by Reuters.
Naturally, this is going to affect Apple quite a bit since a large portion of their offerings – bar a selection of iPad Pros , iPad Airs, and MacBooks – and their upcoming devices will likely continue to follow suite.
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The legislation due to be tabled by the EC will require brands such as Apple to start using Type-C connectors for their products. This comes after lawmakers at the European Parliament voting in favour of a common charger last year, citing environmental benefits and convenience to users as the two driving forces for the movement.
However, Reuters also points out that a similar effort to unify charger connectors was made in 2018, which failed; and Apple warned at the time that a using a common charger would “hurt innovation” and create a mass of electronic waste.
If the legislation passes, it is unsure how long Apple has to implement changes, but when they do, it will cost them a portion of their income generated by the Made for iPhone program which requires third-party manufacturers to pay Apple a commission to make lightning cables and other accessories. Type-C is a free, and open standard.