EU and some other countries will mandate USB-C on cellphones, tablets, and even laptops in a couple of years. I am ambivalent towards such mandates.
Firstly, USB-C is a physical connector specification. It does not guarantee charging interoperability. I encountered several devices with USB-C connectors but only charge with USB-A power adapters. However, I expect that manufactures will learn to implement USB-C correctly eventually.
Secondly, the mandates seem to target Apple only because other phone manufactures have converged USB-C. Apple debuted the reversible lightning connector in 2012. Two years before USB-C came into being. However, Apple holds patents on the connector and tightly controls who may use it. Apple even embeds a small chip into the connector so that phones can refuse to work with unauthorized cables. As a result, lightning connector accessories are more expensive than USB-C counterparts. It seems that complaints to Apple's money grab caught attention from EU legislators and they passed a law to essentially "ban" the lightning connector. However, I don't think such a ban is necessary to force Apple to embrace USB-C. Apple already use USB-C on iPads, probably due to lightning's speed and current limitations. I expect Apple to encounter the same problems on iPhones and thus switch to USB-C voluntarily. In addition, Apple's main patent on lightning will expire in 2032.
Thirdly, I don't think governments should regulate low voltage charging ports. However, governments are justified to mandate certain mains sockets and fuel pumps because they could cause safety issues.
The biggest concern I have on USB-C mandates is the suppression on innovations. Mandating USB-C would disincentive innovators to work on better technologies. The EU lawmakers seem to be aware of this problem. Since the mandate 1) applies to devices with physical charging ports only and 2) allows manufactures to include other ports in addition to USB-C.
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