Connect with us

Tech

EU power sustainability drive with uniformity on USB-C charger

Published

on

type-C-charger
Spread the love

Have you ever borrowed a friend’s charger only to find it is not compatible with your phone? Or wondered what to do with the pile of cables you’ve accumulated from every device you’ve ever bought?

Such inconveniences will soon be history after the EU mandated on June 7 2022 that all small and medium-sized portable devices must be equipped with a USB-C charging port by the autumn of 2024. Laptops are due to come under the new rule roughly in autumn 2027.

Unbundling will also be mandatory: chargers will no longer come with new phones, but will be purchased separately, if needed, when you buy a new phone. According to the EU’s announcement: “This law is a part of a broader EU effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, to reduce electronic waste, and make consumers’ lives easier.”

The European Commission first announced it was discussing the need for a common charger with the industry in 2009, so many manufacturers have already aligned their production with the new rule. As a result, more than 30 different models of a charger have now been reduced to only three: the new standard USB-C, the mini-USB, and Apple’s Lightning charger.

A common charger should be less wasteful and cheaper, as well as making consumers’ lives easier – what could possibly be wrong with that? According to Apple, a lot. The tech company has criticised the plan to standardise, arguing the regulation may hinder future innovation. But the new rules mean it has been forced to add USB-C charging capabilities to its next generation of phones anyway. This shows the power of the EU to affect the development of markets and industries beyond its borders.

Consumers have benefited from improvements to charging technology over the years, but the concern is that a common charger requirement could stifle innovation by making it impossible to develop and roll out even better versions. Imagine if regulators had forced the installation of a CD player on laptops or even a headphone jack on mobile phones, for example. A study commissioned by Apple estimates the potential loss of value to consumers from blocking innovation in this area to be in the billions.

The Commission argues that the legislation is flexible enough to allow for innovation. It even explicitly seeks a common standard for wireless charging as soon as the technology is mature enough. This standard could be adopted by 2026, with the only constraint being that the future wireless standard is the same for all companies.

 

Pesky little brothers

Finding a common standard is often in the interest of manufacturers. Along with helping to reduce costs, it offers the ability to compete on a level playing field. The prospect of a future common standard also encourages competition to provide the resulting product. This often results in manufacturers cooperating without government interventions, both at the national and international levels.

Indeed, USB is already a collaborative venture founded by major tech players such as Microsoft, HP and even Apple. The difference with Apple’s Lightning chargers, however, is precisely that the technology is not collaborative and it’s proprietary. Anyone can add a USB port to an electronic device, but only Apple products can use its lightning ports.

Economists call this a “pesky little brother” situation. Apple is by far the largest technology company in the world. While everyone would like their product to be compatible with Apple, it wants exclusivity. Thus, the main risk of the new regulation may not be to hinder innovation in general, but to block new exclusive Apple designs.

As such, the EU has chosen the collective gain of a common standard versus the benefit some consumers may derive from the exclusivity of Apple products. Other regulators might care more about not hurting Apple’s profits, but the EU seems to believe that this point is irrelevant to the welfare of European citizens.

EU-chargerThe Brussels effect

On the other hand, the EU’s decision to standardise chargers is likely to have global implications. Once tech manufacturers switch to offer the common charger for European customers, it could be costly to produce a different technology for other parts of the world.

Once a product is compliant with EU regulation, firms often choose not to make a different version for the rest of the world. EU rules on health and safety, recycling, or chemical products often force global manufacturers to change their practices everywhere, for example. And when a smaller player such as the UK insists on having its own certification, it merely becomes a costly bureaucratic exercise of replication.

Take GDPR as an example. Since 2016, global websites have modified user experience to abide by the European data protection law. Companies such as Facebook and Google have adapted their business models to suit the new standards stemming from the EU Digital Market Act, drastically reducing the ways they can make money from consumer data. Companies are not obliged to apply EU law globally, they often simply find it easier to do so.

Known as the “Brussels effect”, this means lawmakers representing Europe’s 400 million people often end up deciding the standards for the rest of the world. Standardisation and regulation decisions are typically taken after an analysis of the cost and benefits of different options. In the case of GDPR, some studies estimate [the innovation cost of privacy](https://www.nber.org/papers/w30028) to be significant.

While US lawmakers think this cost is higher than the benefits, their preference has become largely irrelevant. The biggest technological companies are based in the US but their regulation has been delegated to the EU in practice, simply because its regulators acted first.

In the case of the common charger, the direct risk to innovation is probably minimal and consumers should be fairly happy with the new rules. The underlying issue is actually democratic: standards are often set by the regulators that act first. Others must then watch markets develop from the sidelines.

Renaud Foucart does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Copyright © 2010–2022, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Business

How Millennials and Gen Z are powering UAE’s mobile shopping boom

Published

on

Spread the love

Millennials and Gen Z are leading a retail revolution in the UAE, turning their smartphones into their go-to shopping destination. According to the newly released 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index – UAE edition, the country’s youngest consumers are driving the UAE to the top of the global mobile shopping leaderboard.

The report, commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and conducted by PYMNTS Intelligence, surveyed 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants across the UAE. The findings reveal a dramatic rise in mobile-first shopping habits, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the charge.

Mobile is the New Mall

A whopping 67% of UAE consumers used their phones as part of their most recent retail purchase, a 23% increase since 2022. But it’s the younger generations setting the pace:

  • 73% of Millennials shopped using their phones during their last purchase
  • Gen Z isn’t far behind, proving that mobile shopping is second nature to digital natives

These generations are not just buying, they’re reshaping the entire shopping experience, demanding speed, security, and flexibility at every step.

Tech-Savvy, Security-First Shoppers

Younger UAE shoppers are also embracing biometric authentication, like fingerprint or facial recognition, more than ever. 32% of UAE consumers used biometrics in their latest online retail transaction, nearly double the global average of 17%.

What Young Shoppers Value

Millennials and Gen Z in the UAE expect more than just fast checkouts. Their top demands include:

  • Rewards programmes (75%)
  • Free shipping (73%)
  • Price matching (70%)
  • Cross-channel flexibility (53%)—blending in-store, mobile, and desktop shopping

They’re also more likely to shop online for home delivery, with 38% of UAE consumers choosing this convenience in their most recent purchase.

Setting a Global Standard

The UAE now has the highest rate of mobile-based online shopping globally (37%), outpacing Singapore, the UK, and Brazil. Industry experts attribute this to a strong digital ecosystem backed by collaborative efforts between the UAE government, retailers, and fintech partners.

“Millennials and Gen Z are shaping this future—and we’re proud to support it through innovations like Click to Pay,” said Salima Gutieva, Visa’s Vice President and Country Manager for the UAE.

Future of Retail: In Their Hands

The takeaway? Mobile-first isn’t coming, it’s already here, thanks to the tech-savvy preferences of the UAE’s younger generations. Whether it’s a tap, swipe, or biometric scan, Millennials and Gen Z are making mobile shopping the new normal in the Emirates.

Continue Reading

News

ChatGPT down globally: Users in UAE affected by widespread outage

Published

on

Spread the love

The popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, is currently experiencing widespread issues, leaving millions of users unable to access the service across the globe, including the UAE.

As of Tuesday afternoon, attempts to use the platform were met with frustrating error messages such as “Error in message stream” or “too many concurrent requests.”

The global outage has caused significant frustration among students, professionals, and businesses who rely on the popular service for their daily needs.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has acknowledged the problem. On its official status page, OpenAI stated that the platform is “currently experiencing issues” and that “some users are experiencing elevated error rates and latency across the listed services.” The company confirmed they are actively investigating the disruption.

The outage isn’t limited to just the main ChatGPT chatbot. OpenAI’s video generation model, Sora, and its various APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are also affected. Reports indicate the problem is widespread, impacting users on different devices and operating systems.

This disruption comes as OpenAI has reported significant growth in its user base. The company announced earlier that its weekly active users jumped by 33 per cent to 400 million in February, up from December last year. Additionally, its enterprise customer base for ChatGPT has recently doubled, reaching 3 million paying business users, as more companies integrate AI tools for productivity.

Users are advised to check OpenAI’s official status page for the latest updates on when services are expected to be fully restored.

Continue Reading

Crime

UAE: Up to Dh2 million for social media violations under new media rules

Published

on

Spread the love

Individuals promoting content or advertising on social media in the UAE will soon need to follow stricter rules under a new comprehensive regulatory system introduced by the UAE Media Council.

The new framework, announced this week, is designed to build public trust, protect viewers, especially children and adolescents, and raise the quality of online media content. It also outlines heavy penalties for violations, with fines reaching up to Dh1 million for first-time offences and up to Dh2 million for repeat breaches. In serious cases, violators could face temporary or permanent shutdowns, along with permit revocations.

“The new system transforms the way the media sector is regulated and developed,” said Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Secretary-General of the UAE Media Council. 

“It combines updated legislation, comprehensive services, and forward-looking policies to support sustainable growth.”

Fee exemptions and local support

To encourage creativity and responsible content creation, the council announced a three-year exemption from permit fees for individuals and influencers who promote content online. This is part of a broader move to support Emirati talent and creative industries, with similar exemptions offered to local media services, producers, and writers whose work promotes national identity.

The initiative builds on last year’s Media Regulation Law and its Executive Regulation, and aims to stimulate growth in the sector while maintaining strong ethical and professional standards.

New age-rating and licensing systems

A key feature of the new regulations includes a media age-rating system, ensuring that content shared online is appropriate for different age groups, especially young viewers.

The council is also developing a new licensing policy for digital news platforms, with a focus on enhancing credibility and journalistic standards. The goal is to create a balanced legal environment that supports responsible reporting while safeguarding freedom of expression.

The updated system also outlines resolutions related to media service fees, violations, and administrative penalties, offering clearer guidelines for all stakeholders in the media landscape.

Continue Reading

Popular

© Copyright 2025 HEADLINE. All rights reserved

https://headline.ae/