Tech at Play

Led by the GSM Association (GSMA), an alliance of operators and handset makers have finally decided to do the right thing and standardize on a compatible charger for use across mobile phones. What’s more, the standard power charger will come in the form of a standard micro-USB interface, which is commonly used to transfer files to-and-fro a number of smartphones.

Phone makers currently onboard the alliance would be LG, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson; operators such as AT&T, Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Vodafone are also part of the initiative. Since all recent Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphones – and of course the Apple iPhone – already sport the mini-USB or micro-USB interface, that list pretty much covers everyone else.

Other than the obvious convenience of being able to throw one phone charger into the luggage for the entire family, it will also allow consumers to invest in good high efficiency chargers that won’t become obsolete eight months down the road. Indeed, with more than a billion mobile phones shipped in 2008 alone, think of the huge reduction in phone chargers clogging up the landfills. In fact, I am surprised that it took quite so long to get here.

Of course, one can be sceptical and argue that having a standard charger is just another way to allow manufacturers to cut costs, and ship phones without bundling them with a charger. I’ve just watched The Inconvenient Truth last night though, and I’ll just prefer to care a little bit more for the environment at this point.

So what is the clincher to the entire announcement?  Typical of such announcements, the target for the certified compatible charger in question to appear has been set to 2012.   Even then, the target of the GSMA of phones to use this charger appears to be a meagre 50 percent.

One can hope.

No related posts.