UK set to follow EU with landmark ruling that'll change your devices forever

If you're a fan of the best phones on the market, you're likely a lover of small differences. Because – let's face it – there really isn't a lot of major differentiation between handsets these days.

Sure, each brand will try to sell you on their version of perfection, but those tend to be amendments more than huge changes. One of the biggest differentiators in recent years has been the charging port.

While USB-C has broadly become the norm these days, you don't need to travel too far back in time to see everything from Micro-USB on Android phones to Lightning cables for iPhone. The major change came when the EU passed legislation stating that USB-C was the standard, and devices must adhere to using it.

Now, the UK Government is looking into a similar piece of legislation. According to The Register, a consultation process has started, to ascertain whether the UK needs a universal standard for charging connections – and whether that should also be USB-C.

That's in stark contrast to the position held two years ago, when the initial EU change was made. As reported by the BBC at the time, the UK Government was not considering following in the footsteps of the EU. Of course, a lot has changed in that time, and this U-turn could have numerous benefits politically.

The original EU drive had a strong focus on the environmental impact. The decision would cut 11,000 tonnes of waste every year, they said, and could save consumers up to €250m (approx £209m / $273m / AU$406m). Both of those fit into the current government's stance, while also leaning into the Prime Minister's aim to reset relations with the European Union.

The process is currently in the very earliest stages of consultation, so don't expect any major changes soon. It's also quite unlikely to yield any major changes.

If the EU directive was enough to make Apple – one of the largest, and most vocal, opposers to the scheme – change tact, it's effectively sorted. It may not form part of the UK's legislation, but manufacturers are highly unlikely to manufacture a specific model just for us either.

I believe the only way this will make any tangible difference would be if the UK Government decided to use a different charging standard. That would require manufacturers selling to the UK market to produce different devices to other territories. I'd wager that the chances of that happening are similar to those of Shergar winning the next Grand National, though.