Mobile Phone Giants Commit to Power Charger Interoperability

A group of major device makers and wireless carriers has committed to a cross-industry standard for a universal charger for new mobile phones. They are also committing to more energy-efficient chargers.

Reduce the Clutter
The goal of this industry group is have a majority of new mobile phone models released after Jan. 1, 2012 support a universal charging connector. They hope to eliminate 51,000 tons of duplicate chargers,  while also enhancing  the customer experience by simplifying the charging process.

The standard they have chosen is micro-USB, which is already being used by some manufacturers, most notably Nokia.

"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," said W.S. Lee, Vice President, R&D Planning, Mobile Communication Division, Samsung Electronics.

Some of the other companies who are part of this agreement are AT&T, LG, Motorola, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telstra, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. However, there are some big names notably absent from this list: Apple, HTC, Palm, RIM, Sprint, and Verizon.

Saving Power, Too
This group is also working to reduce the amount of power used by chargers by making new ones with an estimated 50% reduction in standby energy consumption.

Universal charging solution (UCS) chargers will include a 4-star or higher efficiency rating, which is up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger.

"Over the last few years, Nokia has pioneered many energy saving features, from chargers using 90% less energy to alerts reminding people to unplug chargers. By supporting this industry initiative on common charging solutions, and enabling consumers to choose if they need a charger with every new device or can re-use existing ones, we can contribute further in improving the industry's environmental footprint," said Mitti Storckovius, Nokia's Director of Environment, Devices.

Source: GSM Association