[TomMarius]

Not true. PDAs used mini USB way before the first iPhone came out (and a lot of PDA users were very unhappy with their proprietary plug). The threatening came way after the plugs were already standardized on USB. Remember that smartphones are not evolution of mobile phones, but PDAs and MDAs - that had mini USBs for a long time before any smartphone has existed. This started at least around 2003 and around 2007, it was already clear that not using USB is a disadvantage, and in 2008/9 it was irrelevant what "dumb" mobile phone manufacturers are doing as it was clear that smartphones have won in the long run.

Regulating something that is not a problem anymore is typical EU propaganda move. After they did it, they flooded our TV and newspapers with ads saying "we saved you" - they forgot to say that dumb phones wouldn't be a problem anyways, though, and no one else was interested in proprietary plugs.

[jarfil]

Not true. Do you want me to share a photo of some 2010-2015 phone chargers and their plugs? Because just recently I've found some of those lying around, and let me tell you: 5 phones, 5 different plugs.

Also one phone with a micro USB port, except it won't charge through it, data only.

[TomMarius]

You're talking about dumb phones, I suppose. I don't care, this market is diminishing every year and will be a completely niche market soon. It's bullshit to spend tax money on regulating a market that will almost cease to exist soon. The charger waste largely comes from old phones made pre-2010, as new dumb phones mostly have USB, but more importantly, are not sold at all.

I'm talking about PDAs (ancestors of smartphones) and smartphones as these matter - as was already clear around 2008, and it was clear since at least 2006 that USB is the way to go and the market has been following it.

If we spent the same amount of money we would spent on this regulation on cleaning the environment directly, we would get a much better result.