U.S. electronics giant Apple will have to change its iPhone chargers in the European Union (EU) in less than two years time if they are to comply with new rules that say most electronic devices must have a single charging port by 2024.

The new regulations, pushed through by the European Parliament, will make USB-C connectors used by Android-based devices the standard across the 27-nation bloc, meaning Apple will have to replace its charging port for iPhones and other devices.

The forced shift comes after the MEPs on Tuesday passed the reform on telephone technology, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, confirming an earlier agreement among EU institutions.

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The rules will also apply to laptops from 2026, although many manufacturers already use USB-C.

Apple is set to be the most affected of the big electronics providers in the European market, although analysts say the impact could be positive if it encourages shoppers to buy its new gadgets instead of ones without USB-C.

The deal also covers e-readers, ear buds and other technologies, meaning it may also have an impact on Chinese tech giant Huawei, South Korea's Samsung, and other device makers.

Under the reform, mobile phones and other devices sold after autumn 2024 will have to be compatible with the single charger, said Alex Agius Saliba, the EU lawmaker who steered the reform through the EU assembly. Old chargers will not be outlawed, however, so that customers can continue to use older models.

Saliba said that outlawing old chargers would have had a disproportionate impact on consumers and the environment, but added that the change was expected to lead to a gradual phase-out of older products.

In total 13 categories of electronic devices will have to adapt by autumn 2024, with the Parliament extending the original proposal from the EU's executive Commission which covered only seven types of devices. Lawmakers also added laptops from 2026.

Apple has previously warned that the proposal would hamper innovation and create a mountain of electronics waste.

However, the change has been under discussed for years and was prompted by complaints from iPhone and Android users about having to switch to different chargers for their devices.

A Commission study estimated that half the chargers sold with mobile phones in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29 percent had a USB-C connector and 21 percent a Lightning connector, which is used by Apple.

The EU executive says that a single charger will likely save about 250 million euros ($247.3 million) for consumers.

Apple is working on an iPhone with a USB-C charging port that could debut next year, according to reports.