Canada should require a universal charging port for smartphones
Forcing customers to use different types of charging cables is messy and expensive
(Miles Stregger)
Have you ever forgotten your phone charger at home, only to later find out that none of your friends have one that is adaptable to your phone? Have you gone on vacation and realized your iPad has a different port than your phone? If you have, then you understand how inconvenient it is to not have a universal charging port for smartphones
In September, the European Union announced plans to require the electronics industry to adopt a universal charging cord for any mobile device. This would require mandating USB-C charging port, an innovation many companies and devices have already adopted, but the one holding up the initiative is Apple.
The company’s views differ from the EU, they argue that these new rules would limit their company’s innovation and hurt the customer experience. However, not adding a USB-C charging port on their smartphones is a bit odd, considering Apple has products like their MacBook line, which do have USB-C ports.
The requirement of a universal charging port seems like an amazing idea.
The improvements would solve charging problems that owners of devices already experience such as the fear of forgetting a charger and having no replacement, ad the struggle of not wanting to let anyone else use your charger because it’s the only one you have. All of these are paired with the horrid reality that you must buy a new one, and to buy a new one requires payment of a hefty price.
The EU is hoping that this shift will not only bring ease to the consumers’ life, but also reduce electronic waste as well.
This proposal is what makes the idea so tempting, and I’m just waiting for Canada to take this into play. Everything from phones, tablets, digital cameras, video game consoles, headsets, and headphones would all come with USB-C charging ports. The only exceptions are earbuds, smartwatches, and fitness trackers.
“On average, consumers own around three mobile phone chargers, of which they use two on a regular basis. Despite this, 38% of consumers report having experienced problems at least once that they could not charge their mobile phone because available chargers were incompatible,” reads the EU’s proposal.
It is also noted people “spend approximately €2.4 billion annually on standalone chargers that do not come with electronic devices.” That number is insane when thinking of our own personal purchases and the long list of devices that require a charger.
Not only is this a perfect solution for people in general, but particularly for students who live in the time of technology. Juggling a laptop, tablet, phone, whatever else is necessary for school, and having a one-and-done charging cord is a smooth way to focus on studying and take away the stress of your battery life. Of course, it also saves you money.
Hopefully, Canada adopts the same requirement, I’m done with getting tangled in five different charging cords.
