June 7 (UPI) -- The European Union said Tuesday that it'll require in the near future one single charging cord that will work for all smartphones and similar devices, a move toward making things less confusing for users and cutting out electronic waste.
The European Parliament announced a provisional agreement for the rule, which will mandate that all devices can be charged with a USB Type-C cable. The law will take effect in 2024.
Most smartphone makers already use the Type-C cable, but Apple uses its own to power iPhones and iPads. The new law will require them to supply Type-C cables in all 27 countries and states in the EU.
"This is not a common charging solution, a common charger only for smartphones. This is a common charging solution for a list of 15 different products," European Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba told reporters Tuesday.
Apple has argued that requiring a single type of charger would create electronic waste and be disruptive for consumers. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
