Standard charger rule could hurt laptop firms

The European Union wants electronics products to use common chargers to reduce the need for consumers to purchase separate chargers for different devices. Experts say that while phone makers have been moving towards standard chargers for a few years now, it will be difficult for makers of other devices like laptops to transition towards standard charging ports.

“Urban households have 10-14 chargers and “the time has come that it is a waste of resources,” said Ajay Choudhary, founder of HCL and president of industry association EPIC Foundation. Who should make it worse.”

E-waste is also a major concern in the EU resolution. In July, the European regulator mandated that electronics companies adopt USB Type-C as the standard charging port by September 2024. After that, it extended the deadline to January 2028, seeing an impact on the likes of Apple Inc., which uses proprietary charging standards for its iPhones and Macs. To be sure, India, too, is in no hurry to formulate a policy without considering the pros and cons of the move.

Ali Akhtar Jafri, acting director general of industry body Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT), said there is “apprehension in the industry” and the one-charger rule may affect manufacturing as demand for chargers will go down. “We suggested the Ministry of Consumer Affairs should wait and see how the implementation of the EU’s common charger pans out.”

In addition, experts said proprietary chargers are an additional revenue source for many firms, as users have to buy the charger if it stops working.

“This is true for laptops, but for wearables, it depends on the design. Every brand has a different design,” said Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President, Device Research, IDC India, South Asia and ANZ And the product’s real estate is too small for a standard connector.”

Choudhary agreed that implementing a single-charger policy would be challenging. He added that laptop and entry-level phone makers may not be able to use USB Type-C, as it increases the cost.

“The mobile industry is already rationalized and uses either Micro-USB or USB Type-C ports. 97-98% of phones use both. The concern is laptops, as they all have different chargers,” said Pankaj Mohindroo, president of India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

IDC’s Singh said that 10% of smartphones in India still use Micro-USB (the old standard). An IDC report states that 72 million smartphones were shipped in India in the first half of 2022.

Some PC players can’t even be sure because of power delivery requirements. Gaming laptops, and devices used for graphic-intensive tasks, require a power delivery of 240W or more. This will require them to install more expensive chargers, which cut into their margins, even if it is minimal.

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