Aside from doling out fines to Google and other electronics manufacturer for a variety of reasons, the European Union (EU) recently made push for a study to be conducted on the mobile phone charger in Europe. Specifically, the EU is hoping that this new “impact assessment study” will coax smartphone makers to work together and agree upon a common mobile phone charger, regardless of the device.
The EU pointed out that there has been a lack of progress in the development of a common and universal charger to be the international standard since 2009. At the time, smartphone makers signed an agreement to produce a common charger for their devices in Europe. The original agreement was then re-signed back in 2013 and 2014, and in 2018. Signatories included Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony, Google, Motorola, and Lenovo.
One major reason behind this is the obvious differences in the chargers used by iPhones and Android devices. iPhones have been using a Lightning connector since its introduction in 2011 with the iPhone 5, while most Android devices have transitioned from using a microUSB connector to the more current USB Type-C connector.
To complicate matters further, the introduction of smartphones with fast charging support has led to companies such as OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, and Huawei to come up with their own proprietary fast charging systems. Which usually includes a fast-charging plug, along with a specially designed fast charging cable bundled in with their respective devices.
As mentioned earlier, the study seems to only be limited to within Europe for the moment. No start date has been given either, nor any other information about alternative options.
(Source: Reuters, Digital Trends)
