The second-largest smartphone market in the world is now adopting USB-C charging.
Photo by Marcus Urbenz on Unsplash
Smartphone manufacturers and organisations representing Indian technology industries are said to have agreed to use USB-C as a standard charging connector for phones, laptops, and tablets. According to The Economic Times, government sources verified the agreement during a meeting of an inter-ministerial task team to explore the problem.
The conference was allegedly attended by industry stakeholders such as Samsung, Apple, and PC manufacturers such as HP, Dell, and Lenovo. An industry official verified that Apple did not object to the adoption of USB-C as a universal charging standard. When USB-C becomes required, the Cupertino phone maker will be one of the most impacted brands. Its phones and certain iPads now use the proprietary Lightning connector, and selling Lightning accessories contributes to the company's income.
There is no official schedule for when India would require USB-C across all devices, although an unidentified industry executive stated that it will happen after the transition is implemented in Europe.
The European Council gained final approval to its single billing scheme last month. It mandates that all electronic devices use USB-C charging by the fall of 2024 in order to eliminate e-waste and assist customers in saving money. Laptops have been given an extension to comply with the requirement by spring 2026.
The repercussions of India following Europe's lead and requiring USB-C charging across devices can be severe. It has the world's second-largest smartphone market, therefore standardizing the charging connector might lessen the likelihood of region-specific charging variations.
Nonetheless, the EU mandate has not yet taken effect. We'll have to wait and see how things play out, and whether other nations join the universal charger plan.
