EU unified charging interface
2022-08-23
Whether to unify the charging interface of mobile phones and other devices, for the EU, this controversial issue that has lasted for ten years has finally come to a conclusion. On June 7, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union agreed that by the autumn of 2024, the USB Type-C interface will become the standard charging interface for small and medium-sized portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and cameras in the European Union. By then, all related products used in the EU must be equipped with a USB Type-C charging interface.
Share a charger, not just a phone charger
The European Parliament said that this interim agreement establishes a single charging solution for some electronic devices, and its significance is to make the use of these products more sustainable, reduce electronic waste and make consumers' lives more convenient.
It is reported that this regulation will allow more chargers to be reused and help consumers save 250 million euros a year on charger purchases. It is estimated that discarded and unused chargers generate around 11,000 tons of e-waste each year.
Alex Agius Saliba, head of the European Parliament, told the media: "We have made universal chargers a reality in Europe! For a long time, European consumers have been plagued by multiple chargers piled up for each electronic device. Now, all portable electronic devices We can all share the same charger.”
Under the new regulations, consumers will no longer need different chargers and charging cables every time they buy a new device, and all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices can use the same charger. Electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld game consoles, and portable audio devices that support wired charging must be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of the manufacturer. . Even laptop products must be acclimated within 40 months of the regulation coming into effect.
In addition, the new regulations also address the issue of charging speed: For devices that support fast charging, consumers should be able to charge the device at the same speed when using a compatible charger.
After the summer recess, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union must formally ratify the agreement before it can be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The agreement will go into effect 20 days after publication, and its provisions will apply after 24 months. The new rules do not apply to products placed on the market before the filing date.
Apple's objection to stifle or encourage "innovation"?
In fact, for the past decade, the European Parliament has been calling on the Commission to make recommendations on a universal charger solution.
On September 23, 2021, the legislative proposal was formally submitted. At the time, the staff of the European Commission said: "We have given the industry enough time to come up with their own solutions, and now is the time for legislative action to unify chargers. This is an important issue for our consumers and the environment. The victory is in line with our green and digital development goals.”
Clearly, the decision to unify the charging port has had the biggest impact on Apple. It is understood that the value of the industry chain related to certification of Lightning interfaces and accessories has reached tens of billions of dollars. Apple has also warned that the move to unify charging ports is stifling "innovation."
Strictly restricting the use of only one type of cable will stifle innovation, rather than encourage it, to the detriment of consumers in Europe and around the world, Apple said.
It is worth noting that, in response to the question of innovation, this time the European Parliament specifically mentioned "encouraging technological innovation" in the announcement, and set a special clause for this: Given that wireless charging technology is becoming more and more common, the European Union The Commission will have the power to develop an enabling bill on the interoperability of "charging solutions".
At present, the unified charging interface is a done deal. The industry believes that the impact of the new regulations on the field of mobile phones is more obvious.
From the perspective of smart device interfaces, Android phones have basically achieved the popularization of USB Type-C interfaces. At present, flagship models such as Huawei P50 Pro, Samsung S22 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, OPPO Find X, and vivo X Fold have implemented the USB Type-C interface, and most of them are global models. For Apple mobile phones, since the iPhone 5 series mobile phones adopted the Lightning interface in 2012, Lightning has been used in the latest iPhone 13 series mobile phones. It is not difficult to see that the Lightning interface is an important part of Apple's closed-loop ecological chain. So, after the new regulations are implemented, what should Apple do?
Another bite off the apple? Or accelerate the construction of a "new moat"
"In the short term, the introduction of the new EU regulations will make Apple lose a lot of revenue and hardware control from the Lightning interface, which will benefit Android manufacturers. But in the long run, the new regulations may accelerate Apple's technological breakthroughs in the field of fast charging, and it will be important to Plastic moat." Zhou Dan, senior analyst of GfK China Communications Division, told a reporter from China Electronics News.
Regarding the short-term and long-term impact of the new EU regulations, Zhou Dan analyzed the reporter from China Electronics News.
Zhou Dan believes that in the short term, Apple will lose the MFi (Made for iOS) business revenue brought by the Lightning interface and the sales profits of accessories such as power adapters, which means that Apple will give up another part of the control over the use of devices by iPhone users.
It is understood that MFi certification is Apple's license mark for its accessories. From April 2022, Apple will officially charge MFi certified accessories suppliers an annual fee ($99 per year). If the annual fee is not paid, the accessories Your MFi Program membership will be terminated. In addition, the Lightning interface also brings revenue to Apple's official accessories. On Apple's official website in China, the price of a 20W charger is 149 yuan; a 1-meter-long Lightning interface data cable is priced at 145 yuan. These all bring a lot of revenue to Apple.
But in the long run, the new regulations may accelerate Apple's technological breakthroughs in the field of fast charging and reshape the moat. From a technical point of view, the Apple Lightning interface is slightly slower than the USB Type-C interface in terms of data transmission and charging speed. Although the current Lightning interface also supports PD fast charging, it can only support up to 3A of current. The current 120W fast charging solution based on the USB Type-C interface on the market has reached 6A, which is one of the reasons why many entry-level models in the Android camp are stronger than the iPhone in fast charging.
"In the future, Apple may accelerate the development of wireless charging and wireless data transmission technology, so that it can bypass the USB Type-C interface, enter the era of no-interface iPhone, and reshape the moat." Zhou Dan told reporters.
In 2021, after canceling the iPhone 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple announced that it may further cancel the charging interface in the future, making the iPhone a smartphone without an interface.
Apple has been deploying wireless charging for 10 years and has a wealth of patents. In 2011, Apple filed a patent for technology that allows iOS devices to be charged by placing them near a computer. In 2013, Apple applied for technology that uses Smart Cover for wireless charging, as well as technology that allows wireless charging of hybrid laptop and tablet devices. At present, Apple uses wireless charging technology for a full range of products, including iWatch and iPhone, which have wireless charging function. In the future, Apple devices may charge each other.
However, on the wireless charging track, the current performance of wireless chargers for Android devices is better than that of Apple, but due to the user experience, flagship products have not yet appeared. Apple needs to make the wireless charging experience better under the condition that its core user base accepts it, and proposes a compromise solution to the pain points of wireless charging user experience, just like when it built AirPods, by eliminating unnecessary The operation really makes charging fast and convenient.
Share a charger, not just a phone charger
The European Parliament said that this interim agreement establishes a single charging solution for some electronic devices, and its significance is to make the use of these products more sustainable, reduce electronic waste and make consumers' lives more convenient.
It is reported that this regulation will allow more chargers to be reused and help consumers save 250 million euros a year on charger purchases. It is estimated that discarded and unused chargers generate around 11,000 tons of e-waste each year.
Alex Agius Saliba, head of the European Parliament, told the media: "We have made universal chargers a reality in Europe! For a long time, European consumers have been plagued by multiple chargers piled up for each electronic device. Now, all portable electronic devices We can all share the same charger.”
Under the new regulations, consumers will no longer need different chargers and charging cables every time they buy a new device, and all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices can use the same charger. Electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld game consoles, and portable audio devices that support wired charging must be equipped with a USB Type-C port, regardless of the manufacturer. . Even laptop products must be acclimated within 40 months of the regulation coming into effect.
In addition, the new regulations also address the issue of charging speed: For devices that support fast charging, consumers should be able to charge the device at the same speed when using a compatible charger.
After the summer recess, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union must formally ratify the agreement before it can be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The agreement will go into effect 20 days after publication, and its provisions will apply after 24 months. The new rules do not apply to products placed on the market before the filing date.
Apple's objection to stifle or encourage "innovation"?
In fact, for the past decade, the European Parliament has been calling on the Commission to make recommendations on a universal charger solution.
On September 23, 2021, the legislative proposal was formally submitted. At the time, the staff of the European Commission said: "We have given the industry enough time to come up with their own solutions, and now is the time for legislative action to unify chargers. This is an important issue for our consumers and the environment. The victory is in line with our green and digital development goals.”
Clearly, the decision to unify the charging port has had the biggest impact on Apple. It is understood that the value of the industry chain related to certification of Lightning interfaces and accessories has reached tens of billions of dollars. Apple has also warned that the move to unify charging ports is stifling "innovation."
Strictly restricting the use of only one type of cable will stifle innovation, rather than encourage it, to the detriment of consumers in Europe and around the world, Apple said.
It is worth noting that, in response to the question of innovation, this time the European Parliament specifically mentioned "encouraging technological innovation" in the announcement, and set a special clause for this: Given that wireless charging technology is becoming more and more common, the European Union The Commission will have the power to develop an enabling bill on the interoperability of "charging solutions".
At present, the unified charging interface is a done deal. The industry believes that the impact of the new regulations on the field of mobile phones is more obvious.
From the perspective of smart device interfaces, Android phones have basically achieved the popularization of USB Type-C interfaces. At present, flagship models such as Huawei P50 Pro, Samsung S22 Ultra, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, OPPO Find X, and vivo X Fold have implemented the USB Type-C interface, and most of them are global models. For Apple mobile phones, since the iPhone 5 series mobile phones adopted the Lightning interface in 2012, Lightning has been used in the latest iPhone 13 series mobile phones. It is not difficult to see that the Lightning interface is an important part of Apple's closed-loop ecological chain. So, after the new regulations are implemented, what should Apple do?
Another bite off the apple? Or accelerate the construction of a "new moat"
"In the short term, the introduction of the new EU regulations will make Apple lose a lot of revenue and hardware control from the Lightning interface, which will benefit Android manufacturers. But in the long run, the new regulations may accelerate Apple's technological breakthroughs in the field of fast charging, and it will be important to Plastic moat." Zhou Dan, senior analyst of GfK China Communications Division, told a reporter from China Electronics News.
Regarding the short-term and long-term impact of the new EU regulations, Zhou Dan analyzed the reporter from China Electronics News.
Zhou Dan believes that in the short term, Apple will lose the MFi (Made for iOS) business revenue brought by the Lightning interface and the sales profits of accessories such as power adapters, which means that Apple will give up another part of the control over the use of devices by iPhone users.
It is understood that MFi certification is Apple's license mark for its accessories. From April 2022, Apple will officially charge MFi certified accessories suppliers an annual fee ($99 per year). If the annual fee is not paid, the accessories Your MFi Program membership will be terminated. In addition, the Lightning interface also brings revenue to Apple's official accessories. On Apple's official website in China, the price of a 20W charger is 149 yuan; a 1-meter-long Lightning interface data cable is priced at 145 yuan. These all bring a lot of revenue to Apple.
But in the long run, the new regulations may accelerate Apple's technological breakthroughs in the field of fast charging and reshape the moat. From a technical point of view, the Apple Lightning interface is slightly slower than the USB Type-C interface in terms of data transmission and charging speed. Although the current Lightning interface also supports PD fast charging, it can only support up to 3A of current. The current 120W fast charging solution based on the USB Type-C interface on the market has reached 6A, which is one of the reasons why many entry-level models in the Android camp are stronger than the iPhone in fast charging.
"In the future, Apple may accelerate the development of wireless charging and wireless data transmission technology, so that it can bypass the USB Type-C interface, enter the era of no-interface iPhone, and reshape the moat." Zhou Dan told reporters.
In 2021, after canceling the iPhone 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple announced that it may further cancel the charging interface in the future, making the iPhone a smartphone without an interface.
Apple has been deploying wireless charging for 10 years and has a wealth of patents. In 2011, Apple filed a patent for technology that allows iOS devices to be charged by placing them near a computer. In 2013, Apple applied for technology that uses Smart Cover for wireless charging, as well as technology that allows wireless charging of hybrid laptop and tablet devices. At present, Apple uses wireless charging technology for a full range of products, including iWatch and iPhone, which have wireless charging function. In the future, Apple devices may charge each other.
However, on the wireless charging track, the current performance of wireless chargers for Android devices is better than that of Apple, but due to the user experience, flagship products have not yet appeared. Apple needs to make the wireless charging experience better under the condition that its core user base accepts it, and proposes a compromise solution to the pain points of wireless charging user experience, just like when it built AirPods, by eliminating unnecessary The operation really makes charging fast and convenient.
