Brazil is considering forcing smartphone manufacturers to adopt a standard charging port on all their devices. The move comes in the wake of the European Union ruling mandating the use of USB-C for charging phones, tablets, headphones, and other accessories.
US Senators are also urging a common charging standard on smartphones to reduce e-waste.
Brazil wants all smartphones to adopt the USB-C port
Tecnoblog reports that Brazilian regulatory body Anatel has proposed making USB-C the standard charging port on all smartphones. The move “will allow for greater convenience for consumers.”
It will also enable consumers to reuse their power adapters for charging multiple devices, thereby reducing e-waste. The proposal mandates making USB-C the common standard for phones sold in Brazil starting July 1, 2024. The proposal is currently up for public consultation allowing the general public and even tech companies to share their opinions about it.
Unlike the European Union, Brazil only wants smartphones to switch to USB-C. Its proposal does not mention tablets, earbuds, and other electronic devices.
iPhone with Lightning port could soon be a thing of the past
Almost all Android phones have switched to USB-C for charging and data transfer. iPhone is the only major smartphone out there that continues to use a proprietary solution — the Lightning port.
But Apple itself has gone full steam ahead with USB-C adoption on its MacBook and iPad Pro/Air lineup. The entry-level iPad is rumored to switch to USB-C this year. This leaves the iPhone, AirPods and select Apple accessories as the odd ones with a Lightning connector. And since the Cupertino giant ships well over 200 million iPhones every year, that’s a lot of non-USB-C devices.
Rumors suggest iPhone 15 will switch to USB-C in 2023, a year before the EU’s mandate comes into effect.
Even if the Brazilian regulatory body’s proposal is rejected, Apple will eventually have to switch to USB-C across its devices. That is, if it wants to continue selling iPhones in the EU. The company is unlikely to launch different iPhone SKUs with Lightning and USB-C ports for various markets. Instead, dumping the Lightning connector would make a lot more sense.
