Saudi Arabia to enforce USB-C as standard smartphone charger by 2025
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Aug 7, 2023, 4:37 PM ISTLowering electronic waste by about 15 tonnes yearly will assist in achieving the Kingdom's aims for sustainability in the technology sector.
Riyadh: Starting on January 1, 2025, Saudi Arabia will standardise charging ports for electronic devices and mobile phones. The only connector that will be standardised is USB Type-C. The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organisation and the Communications, Space and Technology Commission announced the required steps for standardising charging ports for mobile phones and other devices on the Saudi market.
They emphasised that the decision does not result in increased prices but rather seeks to enhance the connection users' experience in the Kingdom. Additionally, lowering the amount of electronic trash, will provide high-quality data transfer and shipping technologies and support environmental sustainability principles.
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The choice would help save customers in the Kingdom more than SR170 million annually by reducing the number of chargers and charging cable consumption for mobile phones and other electronic devices by more than 2.2 million units yearly. Lowering electronic waste by about 15 tonnes yearly also aids in achieving the Kingdom's sustainability goals in the technology sector.
The decision's mandatory enforcement will happen in two stages. Mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, e-readers, portable video game systems, headphones, earphones, amplifiers, keyboards, computer pointer devices (mouse), portable navigation systems, portable speakers, and wireless routers will all be a part of the first phase, which will start on January 1st, 2025. Beginning on April 1, 2026, the second phase will involve laptops.
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