Hate having too many charging cables for your devices? This is about to change.

I have a computer bag I tote with me everywhere. One pouch is completely cramped with chargers, cables, adaptors, and various dongles. Standard USB connectors. A couple of micro USB-B connectors for my wife’s Kindles. Various Lightning cables (USB to Lightning, Lightning to Lightning, Lightning to USB-C) for one group of Apple devices and various permutations involving USB-C connectors for others. And no matter how carefully I put them away, they always end up in a giant Gordian knot that takes hours to untangle.

I hate it. But what are you gonna do? Enter the European Union.

After hearing complaints from consumers across the continent, the EU says there must be One Cable to Rule Them All. And as of 2024, every device sold in Europe music use USB-C for chargers and connections.

Apple has been very vocal against this saying that (a) they’ve invested a LOT in Lightning, and (b) the changes will cause a mountain of electronic waste. Samsung, LG, and Huawei aren’t crazy about the idea, either. But the EU has spoken. This could force manufacturers to change their devices for all territories.

Given the number of legacy devices and cables in the wild right now, it’ll take more than a decade to weed out the old tech. And yes, there will be a lot of old gear that will need proper recycling. But in the end, it’ll be much more convenient for consumers.

Until a new, faster technology comes along, of course. In which case we’ll be hooped again.