Common external power supply
Smartphone charger specification
The common external power supply (Common EPS) was a European Commission (EC) specification for a universal charger for smartphones sold within the European Union. The specification included the use of a USB Micro-B connector and adherence to the USB Battery Charging Specification.
The purpose of the specification was to reduce waste and increase convenience for consumers. Common EPS started as an EC-sponsored agreement between manufacturers, and was formalised into a technical standard by relevant EU standardisation bodies. The specification EN/IEC 62684 was active from 2009 to 2014.
Although compliance was voluntary, a majority of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers agreed to make their applicable mobile phones compatible. Apple, one of the major signatories, was still found to be in compliance despite using proprietary connectors for the iPhone, since the specification allowed for the use of adaptors.
To replace the obsolete specification, the European Union later passed the Radio Equipment Directive (2022), which requires new smartphones to use USB-C by the end of 2024, and laptops by 2026.
Purpose
According to the European Commission, a common external power supply / "charger" standard is desirable because,
Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major environmental problem and an inconvenience for users across the EU. Currently specific chargers are sold together with specific mobile phones. A user who wants to change his/her mobile phone must usually acquire a new charger and dispose the current one, even if this is in perfect condition.
The public source identifies “Common external power supply” as smartphone charger specification. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Common, external and power.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Common external power supply”, the useful work is to connect “smartphone charger specification” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q60739930. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2009, 2014, 2022 and 2024.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Common external power supply”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Common external power supply primary sources, Common external power supply archive and Common research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Common external power supply”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Common external power supply” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.