European regulators have are looking at whether there is a need for them to take action and force mobile phone manufacturers in using a common mobile phone charger following concern over heavy e-waste caused by the accessories.
For over a decade, the European regulators have been trying to push for a common mobile charger across phone users but to no avail.
Every year, there are over 51,000 tons of electronic waste from the EU as a result of old mobile chargers and cables which at the same time, causes inconvenience to users.
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For long, smart phone users have been clamouring for the need to have a common phone charger which can charge phone devices instead of having all sort of phone chargers. However, this move have been waved off by smart phone manufacturers who makes lots of money by making phone chargers that are compatible with their own device only. Apple is the biggest offender in this.
According to Reuters, the European policymakers are now launching "an impact assessment study to evaluate costs and benefits of different other options," EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager in an Aug. 1 response to a query from an EU lawmaker.
If the EU eventually goes ahead and demand phone manufacturers to adopt the same kind of charger, Apple will have no choice but to switch to the USB type-C charger.
Back in 2009, phone companies such as Nokia, Apple, Sony Ericsson and Motorola all agreed to use the MicroUSB standard for all new smartphones by 2011.Well.... things didn't go as planned.
The deal expired in 2012 and phone manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Google, Huawei etc have been trying to make things easier for phone users by adopting a common phone charger (the USB type-C charger). Apple, however, won't succumb to this as they still stick to the lightening port to USB plug.
And there is wireless charging too.