The hammer has fallen! As of yesterday, all laptops in the EU must support USB-C charging

For phones, we got used to the unified USB-C connector in the European Union back in December 2024, when the common directive for chargers came into effect. Laptops were then given a 16-month longer transitional period by Brussels – and that expired yesterday, April 28, 2026. As of today, no new laptop that cannot be charged via USB-C may be sold in any of the 27 member states.

The limit is 100 W, gaming machines received an exemption

The directive is not entirely absolute. The obligation to charge via USB-C applies to all laptops with a power input of up to 100 watts, which covers the vast majority of office, student, and standard work machines. Manufacturers of more powerful gaming and professional laptops – i.e., those where you won’t get far without a 200W brick – can continue to include a classic barrel connector in the box. However, with one catch: at least one USB-C port for charging must be present.

In practice, this makes sense. The current USB Power Delivery standard hits a ceiling at 100 watts, and higher power levels are currently transmitted via Thunderbolt or proprietary connectors. The EU thus did not want to unnecessarily cripple a segment where a unified charger would mean more of a step backward. For the average user buying an ultrabook or a cheaper laptop under 25,000, nothing will actually change – a phone cable will also work for the computer.

Charger in the box? Only if you want one

The second, less discussed part of the directive is the obligation to offer laptops also in a variant without a charger in the package. The customer must therefore now be able to choose whether to receive an adapter or save a few hundred crowns and use the one they already have at home. We know this principle from Apple, which started selling iPhones this way years ago, and since then, the vast majority of Android competitors have followed suit.

For laptops, this will be a slightly more challenging discipline, as their chargers have historically been product-specific. However, if a user acquires a quality 65W or 100W USB-C adapter, it will suffice for their laptop, phone, and tablet simultaneously. The Brussels logic here is not complicated – fewer boxes with unused adapters mean less e-waste.

Who the change affects and who it doesn’t

To be clear: the rule applies exclusively to new models introduced to the market after April 28, 2026. Laptops currently on sale with an old connector will simply be sold off. The second-hand market is not affected at all, so if someone is looking for a used ThinkPad or MacBook from the generation before last, nothing changes for them. Likewise, the directive does not apply to goods sold outside the EU – manufacturers can therefore produce models as they wish for Asian or American markets.

For most major brands, however, this is no drama. Lenovo, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Acer have already had USB-C charging available for years, and for many models, it’s the only way to connect an adapter. Apple switched to USB-C long ago via both the MagSafe connector and direct USB-C charging. In reality, the directive was catching up to a state the market was already converging towards – it merely forces the last stragglers to adapt.

250 million euros in savings – we’ll see

Brussels’ figures sound impressive. Together with mandatory USB-C for all portable devices, Europeans should save up to 250 million euros annually and reduce e-waste by 11 thousand tons per year. The question remains how this will actually translate into final prices – manufacturers generally do not lower prices simply because they don’t include a cable and adapter in the box. Rather, they will keep a quiet margin, and consumers will only save if they consciously order a package without a charger.

Either way, the practical impact for the average user is undeniable. One cable for phone, headphones, tablet, and laptop is a goal the market has been striving for for a long time but never managed to achieve on its own. The fact that a European directive was ultimately needed to make it happen says more about the manufacturers than about the regulator.

Do you welcome the unification of laptop chargers, or do you find it an unnecessary intervention?

Source: GSMArena