European Union votes for universal charging cable for mobiles

PanARMENIAN.Net - Members of the European Parliament have voted in favor of introducing a single universal charging method for mobile phones, which Apple had argued against.

The resolution passed with 582 votes in favor to 40 against. MEPs will now urge the European Commission (EC) to adopt the new rules, says the BBC.

Android phones have a USB-C charger while iPhones used a Lightning cable.

Apple has said that a common standard would stifle innovation and create e-waste.

European politicians have been campaigning for a common standard for the past decade, with the EC estimating that obsolete cables generate more than 51,000 tonnes of waste per year.

In 2009 there were more than 30 different chargers on the market, compared to three currently.

Apple responded: "Regulations that would drive conformity across the type of connector built into all smartphones freeze innovation rather than encourage it. Such proposals are bad for the environment and unnecessarily disruptive for customers.

"More than one billion Apple devices have shipped using a Lightning connector in addition to an entire ecosystem of accessory and device manufacturers who use Lightning to serve our collective customers.

"We want to ensure that any new legislation will not result in the shipment of any unnecessary cables or external adaptors with every device, or render obsolete the devices and accessories used by many millions of Europeans and hundreds of millions of Apple customers worldwide."