If European lawmakers succeed, all smartphones could soon use the same charger as MEPs want to require smartphone makers to provide a common charger for all mobile phones. At a recent meeting, MEPs discussed the idea of introducing "binding measures" that would require suitable chargers for all cell phones and other portable electronic devices. In 2014, the EU introduced the voluntary directive on radio equipment, but MEPs believe that "voluntary agreements between the various players in the industry have not produced the expected results". Stricter measures proposed by European lawmakers aim to reduce e-waste, with old chargers accounting for around 51,000 tonnes of waste per year.
Lightning vs. USB-C
These days, most smartphones use USB-C ports for charging, but Apple's iPhone still uses the company's proprietary Lightning connector. While Apple has embraced USB-C for its new iPad Pro and MacBooks, the company hasn't yet for the iPhone. Last year, Apple argued with the EU that regulations to standardize cell phone chargers would harm innovation, stating: "Apple stands for innovation. Regulations that would encourage compliance with the type of connector built into all smartphones freeze the innovation instead of encouraging it. Such proposals are bad for the environment and unnecessarily annoy customers." The iPhone maker went on to say that switching to a standard charger "would lead to an unprecedented volume of e-waste and significant inconvenience for users." ". While switching from Lightning to USB-C might be inconvenient at first, in the end it would be much easier for users to charge their devices since all smartphones would use a standard connector. Apple may be considering removing its Lightning connector, but the company won't be adopting USB-C for its iPhones any time soon. Instead, the company would work on an iPhone without any ports that only charges wirelessly. via ZDNet