THE EU this week achieved agreement on a deal which will see all smartphones and tablets using a common charger device, to cut costs for consumers and reduce waste.
Phones and tablet makers will have to comply by autumn 2024 but laptops have a slightly longer lead-in.
Unsurprisingly, Apple are not best pleased with the plan, as they are renowned for producing connectors that are basically incompatible with anything else – much to the ire of their fans.
But all will now have to get into line and use the universal USB-C charger.
The rule will also cover headsets, video game consoles and headphones.
It is an issue that local MEP Deirdre Clune has been championing for some time. MEP Clune is a member of the EPP group at the European Parliament, which has long demanded the European Commission draft legislation on a common charger for electronic devices.
Nice to see that European politicians can sometimes make changes that have a very tangible and positive effect at a very basic level, for almost every European citizen.
