Manufacturers agree to make a universal cell phone charger

November 7, 10:11 AMScience & Nature ExaminerKathryn Siranosian

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How many different cell phone chargers have you collected over the years?
JasonRogersFotographie

One-size-fits-all. It works for scarves, umbrellas, and shower caps –so why can’t it work for cell phone chargers, too?

As things stand now, every time you buy a cell phone, you get a new charger specifically designed and manufactured to match. But, stop and think about that for a minute. How many completely functional –yet completely obsolete –charger units have you accumulated over the years?

Couldn’t cell phone manufacturers make a single charger that could work across all makes and models?

Yes, they could. And, indeed they are…at least in Europe.

This past summer, ten companies, including Apple, Motorola and Samsung, made a commitment to start making phones that can be charged using a universal charger. These manufacturers have agreed that, beginning in 2010, all their devices sold in Europe will use the micro USB connector, which is already the standard on handsets such as the BlackBerry.

Last month, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) gave their okay to the plan, explaining that the new universal cell phone charger will:

• Eliminate 51,000 tonnes of redundant chargers, and so reduce 13.6 million tonnes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year.
• Reduce standby energy consumption by 50%.
• Allow users worldwide to power up their cell phones anywhere, from any available charger.

"This is a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of mobile charging, which also has the benefit of making mobile phone use more straightforward,” Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said. “Universal chargers are a commonsense solution that I look forward to seeing in other areas."

So do I.

But, how much longer will we have to wait until cell phones sold in the U.S. come equipped with this “commonsense solution?”

In an email, Therese Van Ryne, Senior Manager on Motorola’s Global Communications team, told me that back in February 2009, Motorola got together with the GSMA and 16 other leading mobile operators and manufacturers to implement a cross-industry standard for a universal charger for new mobile phones.

“The group set a target of 2012 for this universal charging solution to be widely available in the market globally,” Van Ryne said.

A spokesperson for Samsung referred me to this press release, which contains more details about the agreement.

“Samsung seeks to actively take responsibility for the future of our environment,” said WS Lee, Vice President, R&D Planning, Mobile Communication Division, Samsung Electronics. “The universal charging solution presents a unique opportunity for our industry to bring positive benefits to the environment and also to the end-user experience.”

Speaking as one of those "end-users," I'm thrilled! I wish I didn't have to wait three more years, but I'm happy to learn that cell phone manufacturers are heading in the right direction, and that "soon," charging a cell phone is going to get a lot easier --and a lot more eco-friendly.

A version of this story appeared first at Triple Pundit.

Photo: JasonRogersFotographie

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