It is not just incredibly annoying that each and every rechargeable product use different formats for their chargers. There are many who have cursed the fact that different mobile phones use different chargers, which makes it a real hell trying to charge your phone if you forget your specific charger. And from an environmental perspective it’s even worse with tons of mobile phone chargers piling up at the dumps…
In Europe, the trade organization Digital Europe has taken a big step closer to a common standard for mobile phone chargers by submitting a Memorandum of Understanding to the European Commission.
Behind the Memorandum stands ten of the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturers that agreed on using a common standard for mobile phone chargers, which could mean that in 2010 you will not have to change charger when you change your phone.
The 10 Understanding companies make up 90 percent of the mobile phone manufacturing in Europe and include Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments.
The participants have volunteered to move to creating a standard for mobile phone chargers but they got some help on the way;
“If there were not to be a voluntary agreement, then this year even, we would be looking to come forward with draft legislation,”
The interface in question will be micro-USB, which also fulfills the Chinese requirements for a USB for charging mobile phones, and it is already being used by many devices. Whether the initiative will catch on in other parts of the world remains to be seen but it feels like a given that also North America, Asia and other countries will follow.
USB vs. micro-USB
Hopefully similar standards can be set for other battery powered devices like digital cameras, media players, laptops, and similar .
