EC Charger Ruling No Sure Bet for Future of Wireless Charging: Futuresource

The European Commission’s Tuesday ruling that devices must have a common charging method by 2024 -- by 2026 for laptop computers -- will have minimal impact on device makers, including Apple, Futuresource analyst Simon Forrest emailed us Thursday. Most products affected by the ruling have at least one more design cycle ahead that can be accommodated before the fall 2024 deadline, the analyst said.

Recalling Apple’s move to Lightning from the 30-pin connector in 2012, Forrest said the disruption caused then “will not be repeated.” Though Apple users will have to retire legacy companion devices such as docking stations and alarm clocks with the Lightning form factor, the impact will be “marginal” because most audio connections are made via Bluetooth now, he said. Apple already uses USB-C with Thunderbolt on its Mac computers, he noted. Apple didn’t comment.

The universal charging rule is “significant for consumers,” because it forces a common USB-C connection across devices that will allow chargers to be used “almost interchangeably,” Forrest said. The ruling says, as of 2024, all new handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, handheld videogame consoles, headphones, headsets, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems and earbuds will have to be equipped with a USB-C charging port. More devices may be included in the future, the EC said.

The ruling may accelerate a move toward portless smartphones and tablets with no hardwired connections at all, Forrest said, but he tempered the outlook for wireless charging as a result of the ruling. The EC said in its Tuesday announcement the ruling opens a path for “harmonized wireless charging solutions,” but Forrest said wireless charging methods aren’t as energy-efficient as a direct electrical connection: “Therefore some of the sustainability objectives being addressed by the EU universal charging rules may in fact be negatively offset by this change.”

Former Thomson-RCA CEO Thierry Breton, commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, called the ruling “an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste,” saying it will save EU consumers about 250 million euros annually. “It will also allow new technologies such as wireless charging to emerge and to mature" without letting innovation result in "market fragmentation and consumer inconvenience,” Breton said.

In addition to ensuring that consumers can charge a device with the same USB-C charger, regardless of device brand, standardizing fast charging technology will also prevent manufacturers from “unjustifiably” limiting charging speed and ensure charging speed is uniform when using any compatible charger for a device, the EC said.

Unbundling the sale of a charger from the sale of an electronic device means consumers won’t have to pay for a new charger with the purchase of a new device. That will limit the number of unwanted chargers purchased or left unused, it said. Some manufacturers, including Apple, have already begun leaving chargers out of new product packages.

The ruling also stipulates improved information for consumers. Manufacturers will have to provide relevant information about charging performance, including the power required by the device and if it supports fast charging, EC said: “This will make it easier for consumers to see if their existing chargers meet the requirements of their new device or help them to select a compatible charger.”