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EU says it could swap USB-C for a better standard (Updated: Here’s how)
June 22, 2025
Update: June 17, 2025 (5:10 AM ET):An MEP denied last week that the EU’s proposal to adopt USB-C as the standard charging port would hamper innovation, saying they could “adapt the rules” if a newer standard emerges. Now, the MEP’s office has clarified this stance in a statement toAndroid Authority.
“At the moment, USB type-C is a technology that has been chosen as a common standard. However, standardization organizations and industry can develop other technologies that provide better quality charging and data transfer,” a European Parliament representative noted in response to an emailed query, adding that there’ll be a transition period for the industry and consumers.
“We will have a natural phase-out that will not make swiftly obsolete the devices in the market (sic),” the representative explained.
Original article: June 12, 2025 (8:52 AM ET):The EU announced a proposal last month that would force all gadget makers to adoptUSB-Cas the standard port for charging. This isn’t much of a problem for Android brands, as they already use USB-C ports on most of their phones. Apple, on the other hand, uses a Lightning port for charging iPhones andclaimedat the time that the proposal would stifle innovation.
Now, the EU haspoured cold wateron Apple’s claims, saying that the proposal takes better standards into account as well.
“I don’t see it [stifling innovation – ed],” MEP and consumer protection committee chair Anna Cavazzini was quoted as saying. “The proposal states that if a new standard emerges that is better than USB-C, we can adapt the rules.”
Related:The best USB-C cables worth buying
It’s not immediately clear how the proposal would take a better standard into account, but it stands to reason that a phased switch to the new standard from USB-C would be on the cards. We’ve emailed European Parliament representatives to clarify matters and will update the article accordingly. In any event, it’s clear that there is a provision for a better charging standard.
This isn’t the first time the EU has moved to assuage concerns over the new proposal though. A spokesperson toldThe Vergelast month that devices exclusively charging wirelessly wouldn’t require a USB-C port.
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