Andre Yoskowitz
29 Jun 2009 13:40
If you have switched mobile phone brands anytime recently, you will surely have encountered the annoyance of needing to buy a new proprietary charger, either for your wall, your car, or for your PC.
That problem will be coming to an end in Europe as of 2010, as 10 of the largest mobile phone companies have submitted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the European Commission that means a new universal charger will be available, revolving around the Micro-USB connector.
The ten companies are: Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments.
"I am very pleased that industry has found an agreement, which will make life much simpler for consumers," adds the EC's Gunter Verheugen, via a FAQ. "They will be able to charge mobile phones anywhere from the new common charger. This also means considerably less electronic waste because people will no longer have to throw away chargers when buying new phones."
The FAQ does note that the MoU is only relevant to the EU however they hope the move will spread elsewhere.
"The MoU covers the territory of the EU. However, as the market for mobile phones is essentially global, the MoU should be seen as a good model for other geographical markets. The Commission is committed to sharing this approach with its trading partners, in order to extend its benefits world-wide," adds the FAQ.