The days of sifting among wires in search of the correct charger may be numbered.
By fall 2024, the European Union has provisionally decided that all new portable electronic gadgets must utilize a USB Type-C charger.
This will apply to new Apple goods such as iPhones and iPads, as well as laptop PCs in the future, but not to existing gadgets.
BBC News has inquired as to whether the UK government intends to enact similar laws.
After the summer holiday, the EU accord will be presented to the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, where it will be legally ratified before being published.
"Strict legislation mandating only one type of connector stifles innovation rather than fostering it, which in turn would affect customers in Europe and throughout the world," an Apple official told BBC News when the plan was initially announced in September 2021.
Apple's iPhone series employs an Apple-designed Lightning connection, making it the leading maker of cellphones with a unique charging port.
According to the EU, the new regulation will apply to a variety of "small and medium-sized portable gadgets," including:
- mobile phones
- tablets
- headphones and headsets
- handheld videogame consoles
- portable speakers
Regardless of who produces the gadgets, those that are charged with a wired cable must include a USB Type-C connector.
The rule will apply to laptops as well, although manufacturers will have 40 months to make improvements once it takes effect.
Customers will be free to pick whether or not they want a charging wire with their new devices under the terms of the agreement.
The EU stated in their release that "this rule is part of a larger EU commitment to make products in the EU more sustainable, to decrease electronic waste, and to make customers' lives simpler."
The EU said that it will save customers "up to €250 million [£213 million] each year on needless charger purchases" and save 11,000 tonnes of garbage every year.