The impending Radio Equipment Directive in the EU is predicted to make eight million used smartphones, or two in five devices, no longer available for delivery and – at least in the trading bloc – effectively obsolete.
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The legislation, scheduled for December 28, will require all devices to support USB-C. The aim is to reduce e-waste by "banning proprietary chargers", as market researcher CCS Insight puts it.
Apple opposed the rule change for years, and given the iPhone's popularity, the consequence could mean the devices would have to be shipped elsewhere. By 2023, 27 million iPhones were sold on the European second-hand market. That equates to a market share of 57 percent, CCS Insight said.
According to the technical market researcher, the regulation will affect both the primary and secondary markets, and it estimates that more than 60 percent of the used smartphone market will not support USB-C when the directive comes into effect.
