Universal charger for phones plan

[Sunray]

I totality agree, Windows mobile devices have had them as standard for a while now!

The only problem with this new standard is that its not miniusb, its a new microusb standard:

NOT the existing miniusb standard which I think is pretty bloody stupid

Ahh its Micro USB.

As long as it becomes standard, I don't think it matters.

 

[Crispy]

It's not, that's the point. Bu making it so, any charger will work with any phone, in the future. There's no need for anyone to set a standard if all you want to do it plug an existing USB lead into an existing USB wallplug.

 

[Sunray]

Standards are useful if well thought out.

Some backwards compatibility would be a very useful addition.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

mini-USB has to be the standard. please?

Agreed. There's no reason for them not to all use this.

 

[editor]

It's not, that's the point. Bu making it so, any charger will work with any phone, in the future. There's no need for anyone to set a standard if all you want to do it plug an existing USB lead into an existing USB wallplug.

Exactly. One charger will work for everyone's phones and plug straight in. No cables or adapters needed.

 

[Sunray]

Exactly. One charger will work for everyone's phones and plug straight in. No cables or adapters needed.

Apart from all the existing billions of phones out there.

 

[editor]

Apart from all the existing billions of phones out there.

Er, and that's why they're moving forward with a new standard that will prevent that happening in the future.

People with old phones will already have chargers, but won't it be great if all the new phones you buy in the future come with a charger that works with everything, and there's no need to fanny about with different cables and proprietary connectors any more?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

won't it be great if all the new phones you buy in the future come with a charger that works with everything, and there's no need to fanny about with different cables and proprietary connectors any more?

But how will Apple make you pay 3 times the usual price for a bit of white plastic then?

 

[editor]

But how will Apple make you pay 3 times the usual price for a bit of white plastic then?

That's probably why they don't like the plan!

 

[WWWeed]

Just read an article with a bit more info: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/032/1051032/universal-phone-charger-coming

The approved chargers will include a 4-star or higher efficiency rating, which is up to three times more energy-efficient than an unrated charger, the oufit claims.

The move could half the number of phone chargers made, reducing greenhouse gases in manufacturing and transporting replacement chargers by 13.6 to 21.8 million tonnes a year according to estimates.

The initial group of companies that have joined the UCS initiative include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, Mobilkom Austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

Noticeably absent from the list are Apple and HTC, although HTC currently uses mini-USB for device charging and connectivity. Apple is probably totting up how much the move could cost it in lost replacement charger sales.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I notice that most of the companies listed don't actually make phones, although just having Mortorola, Nokia and Sony Ericsson on board is defiantly a good thing. A few years ago when it seemed like everyone had a Nokia, it was really hand just being able to borrow a charger. Then they changed it!

 

[paolo]

The main non-compliant bit in the iPhone / iPod line is the use of the dock connector on the device itself. The new standard doesn't have the functionality of that - e.g. Audio out.

Apple could of course abandon the dock connector (and the wide range of 3rd party accessories engineered around it), and make everyone start faffing with multiple connectors - one for power, one for other functions. Or they could add a secondary connector, to support the standard, that would rarely get used, and possibly have some impact on form factor (on the iPhone, there is no room left at the bottom for another connector. The space around the dock connector is used by the speaker and the microphone).

It'll be these issues, I suspect, behind Apple's decision, not some almost-non-existent revenue stream from replacement power adaptors.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

You can't send audio over USB?

 

[paolo]

No spare pins for analog stereo, plus there's other control signals in the dock interface. I'll dig out the spec later.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

You can't send audio over USB?

Errr, you can send an awful lot of audio via USB.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Errr, you can send an awful lot of audio via USB.

It was highly disguised irony. Course paolo is right, you can't send analog, you'd have to include a DAC in the speakers (oh noes!)

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

USB Ultra Super Benri

 

[paolo]

For the armchair engineers, google "iPod pin out", then come back with your USB implementation.