Smart phones to get common charger

by Brian Turner

Recharging your smart phone should become simply and easier within a couple of months, after a common standard was agreed between Brussels and most manufacturers.

It comes after discussions in 2009 looking to provide a common standard for smart phone chargers with most data-enabled mobile phone providers signing up to it.

The intention is to prevent material wastage by having to throw away an existing phone charger whenever a consumer buys a new smart phone.

The move was announced today by the European Commission, stating that European standardisation bodies had published standards for chargers for smart phones.

“I am very happy that the European standardisation bodies have met our request to develop within a short space of time the technical standards necessary for a common mobile phone charger based on the work done by the industry,” Antonio Tajani, European Commission vice-president for industry and entrepreneurship said. “The common charger will make life easier for consumers, reduce waste and benefit businesses. It is a true win-win situation.”

While the number of manufacturers is quite extensive, with 14 providers including Apple, RIM, and Nokia all signed up, the glaring omission is HTC which has refused to accept standardisation.

The result is that the standard will apply to around 90% of the smart phone market in Europe.

The new standard is based around micro-USB technology, and manufacturers are currently looking to expand the standard outside of the EU. techwatch.co.uk