“This is good news, it avoids accumulating too much equipment,” comments Ariane Komorn, 36 years old. She nevertheless expects a period of adaptation before getting rid of her old chargers, which are still useful for “historic devices”.
Tablets, e-readers, cameras, game consoles, headphones, headsets, mice and keyboards
Aljosa Zapotnik, 30, has “already sold” numerous chargers, and is delighted to be able to use this universal model on her new iPhone.
But the measure does not only concern smartphones. Tablets, e-readers, cameras, game consoles, headphones and headsets, but also mice or keyboards will have to comply with this new standard.
Coming soon to laptops
From spring 2026, it will also apply to laptops.
The text, which arises from a European directive adopted in 2022, requires small electronic devices sold to be equipped with a USB-C type charging portalready very widespread.
The decree, which comes into force in France on Saturday, coincides with the deadline for application set in the EU.
The decision voted by the European Parliament aims to limit the production of electronic waste.
According to the European institutions, Discarded or unused chargers represent around 11,000 tonnes of waste per year in the European Union (EU). And the new regulations should make it possible to reduce their annual quantity by almost 1,000 tonnes.
Positive impact on the portfolio
But the decision should also have a direct impact on the wallet, praises the European Commission.
Because in addition to a single charger, the measure also imposes standardization of fast charging on devicesand requires new devices to be offered for sale with or without a charger.
According to the Commission, this should enable a saving of 250 million euros per year. A relatively low amount on the scale of the European Union: a little more than 50 euro cents per inhabitant.
The entry into force of the measure on Saturday should not, however, be accompanied by a radical change.
Apple gave in
Discussed for several years, the standard has already been widely adopted by electronic device manufacturers.
Apple, which equipped its iPhones with “lightning” chargers developed by the brand, for a time showed its opposition to the adoption of this new rule, accusing it in particular of “harming innovation”.
But the Californian company finally abandoned its standoff with the European Union by marketing from 2023 a new model – the iPhone 15 – equipped with a USB-C port.
Now all of its products, laptops, tablets and headphones are also compatible with the universal charger. Many competing brands, such as Samsung, Xiaomi and Google have already adopted this type of charging port.
