Universal phone charger coming
A GANG OF 17 leading phone companies have agreed to use the same sort of mobile phone charger.
In a victory for common sense, the deal could eliminate up to 51,000 tonnes of duplicate chargers.
The universal charging connector will be based on micro-USB, and the majority of new chargers will meet the high-efficiency targets set out by the Open Mobile Terminal Platform. By 1 January 2012 it is expected that the majority of new mobile phones will support the move.
"The mobile industry has a pivotal role to play in tackling environmental issues and this programme is an important step that could lead to huge savings in resources, not to mention convenience for consumers," said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association.
According to the organisation, a universal charger will make life much simpler for the consumer, who will be able to use the same charger for future handsets, as well as being able to charge their mobile phone anywhere from any available charger.
The approved chargers will include a 4-star or higher efficiency rating, which is up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger, the oufit claims.
The move could half the number of phone chargers made, reducing greenhouse gases in manufacturing and transporting replacement chargers by 13.6 to 21.8 million tonnes a year according to estimates.
The initial group of companies that have joined the UCS initiative include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, Mobilkom Austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone.
Noticeably absent from the list are Apple and HTC, although HTC currently uses mini-USB for device charging and connectivity. Apple is probably totting up how much the move could cost it in lost replacement charger sales.
European Commissioner Gunther Verheugen had earlier thrown his phone out of his pram over the lack of charger standardisation.
Verheugen was hoping that the phone makers might voluntarily adapt to a universal plug standard but he wagged his finger menacingly and warned of "severe measures" if they didn't. µ
Share this:
ShareBusiness Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
Is for all the other devices that can be charged from a USB port to be compatible, My phone, my ebook reader and my Archos all require separate cables and PSUs.
My GPS and my phone already use USB (Tomtom One, RIM Blackberry), but my last two phones, my bluetooth headset, and a bunch of other devices don't, even though they also use 5VDC at USB-capable current levels. Can't wait!
Please can we have standard chargers for laptops now as well??
Why on earth did they choose micro-USB, if they adopted Mini-USB like Motorola, HTC and Blackberry, things would be much simpler.
@Alan Many Laptops use common sized plugs, however if the power requirements of a laptop push it outside a predefined limit (like Lenovo with their T/R/X 61 series), then a connector redesign is needed. This is especially true for laptops running on unusual voltages, like the 20V of a Lenovo R61
The Japanese have had this years ago, though it took them an act of Law to do it!
Now, if we could get all the Media devices done as well....
Because Micro-USB is a new design that is already widely-adopted (and is anticipated by the USB Implementers Forum to replace Mini-USB), thinner (allowing phones, smartphones and internet tablets to become thinner themselve), and can have more connect-disconnect cycles than Mini-USB currently offers (important when using a single port for both charging the battery and data transfer).
Now if we could only get them to stop locking phones to specific cell service vendors.
Seriously, I'd love to have a Jeebus phone, but there's no way I'd switch to teh ebil AT&T as a provider. And no, I don't want to play the cat and mouse game of jailbreaking teh Jeebus phone just to use it with my current cell service provider.
There oughta be a law!
They are only doing this because China has demand a single power adapter.
They seem to be able to make different models for Japan and Rest of world, but China is a much bigger market (potentialy as least) than Japan and so they are standardising worldwide.