MWC 2009: Universal chargers for all mobile phones by 2012 (except Apple)
When Duncan was writing up his “Five Announcements that won’t be made at MWC” feature, we had a bit of a laugh at the idea of the mobile phone companies introducing a universal charger. If there had been a number six, it would have made the list.
So, fortunately, we don’t have to look like idiots now that the GSM association has announced that that’s exactly what all the manufacturers are going to do. My mind immediately jumps to a box of cables in my flat and rejoices.
The new charges, which should come as standard with all handsets by 2012, will work through micro USB and reduce carbon emissions in the mobile industry by 13.6 million tonnes to 21.8 million tonnes a year. Not only will it result in fewer chargers being thrown away but the new ones will be more efficient as well.
So far, the list of companies who’ve signed up include all the networks and manufacturers you’d expect with the exclusion of HTC, whose handsets charge through micro USB anyway, and Apple, whose don’t.
For my money, this is probably the best news to come out of MWC 2009 so far and first equal with this morning’s announcement about Plusnet’s truly unlimited unlimited broadband. Well done world.
(via VNUnet)
