Universal phone chargers by 2012
Starting January 2012, any new mobile phone can be charged from the same universal charger. No not all. You won’t be able to charge the iPhone this way. According to the GSMA, a new charging standard wil come into being by that date.
The universal phone charger plan has been unveiled at the Mobile World Congress currently underway at Barcelona. The new universal charger plan has been okayed by as many as 17 mobile handset manufacturers and service providers. They include majors like Nokia, Motorola, Qualcomm, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung. As per the plan, the new universal charging standard will be based on Micro USB interface, which is the industry-standard. However, it has been specified that the iPhone would be charged only from computers and accessories using Apple’s proprietary 30-pin Dock Connector.
The use of Micro USB, apart from the standard benefits of standardization, is expected to offer two significant advantages over the current crop of charging systems. It has been pointed out that Micro USB ports and plugs smaller than some current charging interfaces are sturdy devices. It comes with a steel plug rated for 10,000 insertion cycles and includes a locking mechanism to prevent accidental disconnection. This apart, the system comes with a host of environmental benefits. The new universal chargers will boast of capabilities up to three times more energy-efficient than existing chargers. The GSMA said that it will require only 50 per cent less standby power.
It is expecte dthat the universal chargers for mobile phones will result in 50 per cent reduction in new chargers being produced each year. It is said that the industry can look forward to reducing greenhouse gases in manufacturing and transporting replacement chargers by 13.6 to 21.8 million tonnes a year, said a report.
Considering the wide variety of mobile phones and brands in India, one of the world’s fastest growing cellphone markets, we would welcome universal phone chargers in India in the blink of an eye. Bring them on!