Single charger coming for mobile phones
Summary
Topics
By 2012, more than half of new handsets shipped will use Micro-USB as the interface for charging, the mobile trade body said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. People will be able to use a single charger to revive devices from the 17 manufacturers and operators participating in the initiative.
The adoption of Micro-USB as a common standard has several advantages for users and the industry, the GSM Association (GSMA) said. In particular, it allows manufacturers to stop shipping a new charger with every handset, and it lets buyers avoid the need to have multiple chargers for different devices.
"The mobile industry has a pivotal role to play in tackling environmental issues, and this program is an important step that could lead to huge savings in resources, not to mention convenience for consumers," said Rob Conway, the GSMA's chief executive, in a statement. "There is enormous potential in mobile to help people live and work in an eco-friendly way, and with the backing of some of the biggest names in the industry, this initiative will lead the way."
Companies signed up to the initiative include Nokia, Motorola, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, 3, Telefónica and Vodafone. HTC was not on the list of compliant companies in the announcement, but an HTC spokesperson told ZDNet UK on Tuesday that the manufacturer will participate in the scheme.
Separately, the Chinese government mandated the use of Micro-USB as the standard for phone chargers at the end of 2006.
In September 2007, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform industry forum announced that its members had decided on Micro-USB as a common charger-interface standard.
Asked why it took a year-and-a-half for the mobile industry to commit to a timescale for introduction, GSMA chief architect Ian Pannell said work was done during that time to toughen the interface specification up for regular mobile-phone use.
"A number of elements [of the revised specification] were only recently completed, such as building more safety and robustness into it for charging," Pannell told ZDNet UK. He explained that Micro-USB was originally designed more for connectivity purposes than for charging.
While two or three versions of Micro-USB exist, the participants of the GSMA initiative will hold to just one, "bog-standard" version, Pannell said.
According to Pannell, Micro-USB has more longevity than the larger, more widely found Mini-USB standard. Micro-USB slots are able to withstand 10,000 insertions, rather than just 1,000 for Mini-USB, he said.
Pannell also said that peripherals makers, which have benefited from the multitude of charger interfaces, will "not necessarily lose out" because of the new standard, but will "have to respond to what's happening and innovate".
This article was originally published on ZDNet.co.uk.
Talkback Most Recent of 12 Talkback(s)
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What a shock that Apple is not on that list
Apple is the most proprietary, anti-standards company out there.
NonZealot17th Feb 2009 -
thats because they think different.
haha omg i couldnt resist... it was ... toooo easy!
rofl
Been_Done_Before17th Feb 2009 -
YAY... universal charger!!!!
no more 50 charger for my house and 30 dollar charger for my car every time i buy a new phone.
It is pretty rediculous it took them this long though. Greed had alot to do with it.Been_Done_Before17th Feb 2009 -
charge from your computer
All smartphones can charge from the computer. I think the manufacturers are realizing that hooking your phone up to you computer to charge it is more convient than messing with a separate plug.
Maarek Stele17th Feb 2009 -
USB makes a great universal charging standard
I don't often charge my cell phone on my computer because during the day, my phone doesn't need charging and in the evening, I'm often not that near to a computer. However, I really like having a USB plug as the charging standard since I've purchased a car charger and a wall plug charger that simply has a USB slot in it. Since so many things can charge through a USB port, anything that can be charged through the computer can be charged in my room or in my car. Very handy!NonZealot17th Feb 2009 -
Great! Now standardize on a 3.5mm AV jack and mini display port
A 3.5mm AV jack that doesn't required an extension jack to get into because it's recessed or some other bs.
That's just as overdue...
Johnny Vegas17th Feb 2009 -
RE: Single charger coming for mobile phones
why chins had mandeted it?
Joanne Z17th Feb 2009 -
Joanne Z17th Feb 2009
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Finally a standard so we can Automotive Sync
I've been pushing this standard in my dreams wondering when the hardware consortiums would standardize a docking or mount for cell phone or music players way back near 2000 but I guess it was to early. Oh course you had competing GPS players too. Then microsoft cme out with Sync and it took time to get everything working. Soon your Cell phone will be the core transport logic in "what drives you". I guess Toyota will have to change its slogan from "Oh what a feeling" to "My car drives me"
I'm still waiting for the day when we have lock on auto-technology on highway safety. That's another story.
Nicholas
Fremont California
Saintnick18th Feb 2009 -
RE: Single charger coming for mobile phones
Great forth coming!!!!!!!!! It could not happen sonner.
stevewd118th Feb 2009 -
Finally...
So, USB plugs for power and data transfer. It's about time, I'd have liked this to come about quite a bit sooner, but I couldn't be happier that it's come about finally. Good job standards organizations!
zach.winchester18th Feb 2009 -
RE: Single charger coming for mobile phones
NOW IF we can only standarize how people think.
USB - Unified Steriotype Beasts
fm-usa22nd Feb 2009
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
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