Apple pushes back against EU’s call for common charger, warns of innovation risks
- European Parliament lawmakers called for a common charger for all mobile phones last week
- A move to a common charger would affect Apple more than any other companies as most of its products are powered by its Lightning cable
iPhone maker Apple on Thursday pushed back against EU lawmakers’ call for a common charger, warning the move could hamper innovation, create a mountain of electronic waste and irk consumers.
Apple’s comments came a week after lawmakers at the European Parliament called for a common charger for all mobile phones and amended a draft law to say the ability to work with common chargers would be an essential requirement for radio equipment in the bloc.
A move to a common charger would affect Apple more than any other companies as its iPhones and most of its products are powered by its Lightning cable, whereas Android devices are powered by USB-C connectors.
“We believe regulation that forces conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, and would harm consumers in Europe and the economy as a whole,” Apple said in a statement.
It said regulation was not needed as the industry is already moving to USB-C through a connector or cable assembly.
“We hope the (European) Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not restrict the industry’s ability to innovate,” Apple said.