India makes Type-C a mandatory charging port for smartphones, smartwatches & laptops
As a reminder, the EU’s Type-C mandate will go into effect on December 28, 2024, thus forcing Apple to start using Type-C charging on its iPhones. The Indian government asked electronic manufacturers to make Type-C a standard by 2025. Now, this rule does apply to smartphones, smartwatches, and laptops. Some devices are exempt from this, though. It does not apply to feature phones, wearables, and hearables, it would seem. Why? Well, it seems like India’s government thinks that such a decision would “increase the input prices”, thus making those devices more expensive. That may change down the road, though, of course. A report recently surfaced, claiming that India is thinking about introducing a universal charger mandate for smartwatches and wearables. That, of course, doesn’t mean they’ll require a Type-C port on such devices, but rather push for a standard wireless charging solution.
USB Power Delivery is required for charging speeds above 15W
Another thing to note, as part of this decision, is if a device supports charging power greater than 15W, it’s required to offer USB Power Delivery as the charging solution. It is worth noting that laptop manufacturers have until 2026 to comply with this ruling, unlike smartphone and tablet OEMs. The whole point behind this decision is to reduce electronic waste, and make things easier for consumers at the same time. Apple has been particularly stubborn when it comes to Type-C. It has been using it on its iPad and Mac devices, but not iPhones for whatever reason. Well, the company will now be forced to change its ways, or ditch wired charging.
