All phones to share common charger by 2012

 

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Posted on 17 Feb 2009 at 10:43

The body which represents the mobile phone industry is claiming that the majority of mobile phones will ship with a common charger by 2012.

The GSMA, which represents 20 manufacturers including Nokia and Samsung, made an initial commitment back in September 2007 when the Open Mobile Terminal Platform recommended the adoption of Micro-USB as a standard charger.

The new standard is expected to be 50% more efficient that current chargers and the group is bullishly predicting it will eliminate around 51,000 tonnes of duplicates being shipped.

The announcement arrives as manufacturers come under pressure from the European Commission to make life easier for the consumer.

EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said last week that his "patience was at an end" with the 30 different kinds of charger available in Europe and warned the EC would take measures if action wasn't taken.

The move also benefits the industry, as the one-size-fits-all charger model means phones need no longer be sold with chargers in the future.

Nokia has already trialled such a move, offering phones without chargers to customers who may already have one.

"The implementation of a standardised universal charger solution is long-overdue as its benefits are obvious on many levels, from the environmental aspects of producing a more energy-efficient product, to smoother supply logistics, to simplifying the lives of consumers," says Michael Hagspihl, executive vice president of Terminal Management at T-Mobile International.

Author: Stuart Turton