Next to the phone, next to the notebook. 🚨

The European Union (EU) has moved forward to enforce a law requiring devices to have the same standard charging port, to reduce electronic waste, which has previously begun to be used on smaller devices such as smartphone, gone and more recently expanded to the official notebook group.

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In the first phase, effective December 28, 2024, devices like smartphones, tablets, headphones, cameras, and other mobile devices totaling more than 12 types are designated to require a USB-C port for all charging, resulting in USB-C quickly becoming the industry's primary standard.

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Later in the second phase, which takes effect from April 28, 2026, the law covered notebooks, stipulating that newer notebooks released in the EU must support charging through a USB-C port on the USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) standard. If not supported, they cannot be sold, but the law does not force charging through this port alone, but specifies that they must also be available as an "alternative," while other charging ports, such as MagSafe or Round Head Charger, can also be shared.

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Technically, this rule focuses on general notebooks, especially models that use up to about 100 watts of power, which must be used efficiently via USB-C not unlike traditional charging heads, while some high-performance notebooks, such as the more powered Gaming Laptop, can also use traditional charging heads.

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Manufacturers also need to make way for consumers to buy uniforms without adapters to reduce redundancy and save about €250 million a year in total EU costs. Overall, most big brands have already adapted ahead of time, but newer notebooks without USB-C are no longer available in Europe.

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Source: HKEPC

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