Smartphones & Tablets | May 14, 2023

The arrival of the universal charger is just around the corner after the European Union approved the law at the end of 2022. Specifically, from December 28, 2024, a long list of electronic devices must integrate USB-C and fast charging with USB Power Delivery. Unifying standards and criteria may feel like a brake on innovation for some brands like Apple, which will have to reluctantly comply, but the reality is that it will be more convenient for users. But the news does not end here: there will be new informational labels on phone packaging.

Achieving one of the European Union’s desires, which has been advocating for a single charger for years, seeks a unified interface that helps interoperability between brands and models, regardless of the phone we have or are going to buy. With this rule, it also seeks to reduce the amount of electronic waste generated with each purchase and sale of phones, so that we save ourselves from having cables and chargers at home that only work for a specific model and end up first in a drawer and then in the trash (or better, in a recycling center).

It should be noted that this legislation only applies to cable charging (wireless charging is not currently included) and that it will be in December 2024 when tablets, non-professional digital cameras, headphones, portable game consoles, eBooks, keyboards, mice, and GPS navigators will have to adapt. Laptops have a little more time: until April 28, 2026, to be precise.

What the universal charger for phones will look like

Let’s take a look at what the law says:

• USB-C will be used for charging, which refers to the shape of the connector: rounded, reversible, and similar at both ends, making the insertion process easier and avoiding the need to figure out which end goes where. It will consist of 24 pins capable of supporting at least 10,000 connections and disconnections, data transfers of up to 80 Gbps with USB4 Version 2, and alternatives (DisplayPort, HDMI, or Thunderbolt) to improve versatility and durability.
• It will support the USB Power Delivery charging protocol with charging above 5V, 3A or directly, with more than 15W of power. However, it may be compatible with other proprietary charging systems. This system regulates voltage and intensity to be able to charge more ambitious devices such as a computer and allows powering other devices while charging.

The transposition to the Spanish legislative framework details that devices may be marketed with or without a charger, although this information must be clearly specified on the packaging with a standard label. Specifically, the second image you see above these lines.

The first of the pictograms would indicate that the box includes a basic charger. More interesting, due to its complexity, is the third one, which is the label that we will find if the charger includes fast charging, informing us that it will be of the USB-PD type and the minimum (XX) and maximum (YY) power range supported.

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