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Jun 29

Europe Gets Universal Cellphone Charger in 2010

Posted in: cellphones, charger, Environment, mobile, Phones, Today's Chili

The movement toward adopting a universal cellphone charger — that is, one type of charger that’s compatible with all cellphones — is becoming a reality in Europe as soon as 2010.

Several major mobile manufacturers, including Nokia, Apple and Research in Motion, have signed up for the universal charger initiative led by the Group Special Mobile Association (GSMA), according to Reuters.

GSMA announced the initiative in February with a goal of pushing manufacturers to use Micro USB as the charging standard for all cellphones by 2012. Europe is getting a head start, as several manufacturers have agreed to implement Micro USB in their phones next year.

The 10 cellphone manufacturers beginning Micro USB adoption in Europe are Apple, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG , NEC, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

The goal of the universal charging solution is to address the environmental impact of cellphone chargers. By having one charger for every phone, cellphone manufacturers will be able to offer chargers as an option rather than an included accessory. The GSMA estimates a universal charger will cut down on the energy and materials required to produce charger by 51,000 tons, reducing the overall amount of chargers produced by 50 percent. This would also decrease the amount of waste created by discarded, useless cellphone chargers.

We’re wondering what Apple will do for its iPhone. Will the company remove its USB dock connector and replace it with Micro USB, rendering the iPhone incompatible with available accessories such as speakers and docks? Or will Apple keep the dock connector and add the Micro USB port? The latter option would likely satisfy customers who own accessories, but it would not enable Apple to cut down on the number of USB dock connector cords produced.

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Photo: osde8info/Flickr