GSM Association sets 2012 target date for universal cellphone charger
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 17th 2009 3:51PM
posted February 17th 2009 3:51PM
Well, this is certainly interesting. Just a couple of days after a top European Union commissioner mused about the need for a universal cellphone charger, the GSM Association has now come out and announced that it and 17 of its partner companies are indeed working on such a solution, and that they plan to have a common format in place by 2012. That rather ambitious date will be a bit easier to meet considering the group's choice of connector, micro-USB, which has already gained quite a bit of acceptance as a common format. The use of micro-USB apparently won't be firm requirement by 2012, however, with the GSMA simply saying that the "majority" of new phones sold by then will support what they're describing as the universal charging solution (or UCS), which itself will have to meet a number of strict requirements in order to be broadly compatible. Of course, while everyone including the likes of Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson have signed on with the GSMA, there are a few big names absent, not the least of which, unsurprisingly, is Apple, so there's certainly still quite a ways to go before we have a truly universal standard.[Via BBC News]
This press release is crap. The target is actually much more agressive than that!
bloody comments system... that comments was aimed at Chris.
You're right. The adapter, in this case, will happen to just be a normal iPod USB cable. The GSMA UCS spec says that the charger must have a USB type A port on it and the phone should have Micro-USB, but everybody must comply with the USB type A part so Apple's OK.
@Fnuky thanks for clearing that up.
[It's somewhat beyond me how a huge site like Engadget can have a comment system that really doesn't work _at all_. WTF?]
I hope it's the "Stone" for the Pre.
Stone ftw!
You won't see Apple comply with this. They have such a huge base invested in the Dock connector. At this point, what would be gained by adopting a universal standard would alienate the "Universal Standard" within Apples mobile product line. With docks and such, I think it would be smart of Apple to stick with what they have now. However, I think including an alternate "Universal" jack or an adapter would be appreciated. The accessory market for the iPod/iPhone market is huge, I don't want to say larger than a would be "universal standard" accessory market. But just about everybody has an iPod cord laying around. I have never had a problem charging my phone anywhere I go.
As Fnuky has pointed out above, Apple is already complying with the proposed standard. So speculating on whether / when Apple will sign is kinda pointless.
Well they're partly complying with it :o)
Their charger will be fully compliant, it's just that their handset won't so you'll need the Apple cable not a standard MicroUSB.
Since the aim was to stop having to manufacture and dispose of billions of chargers per year, they still meet that goal.
If there's a universal charging port, will that port be able to be use as for audio out , and TV out and data port?
I do not want to have 4 holes in the phone.....
It's a good question. Naturally Micro-USB's data and power-compatible.
There are standards for plugging in headsets over Micro USB and also they're working on TV out over it too, but I suspect people will prefer to keep their 3.5mm headphones and manufacturers will standardise on Mini-HDMI for TV out.
Agreed on charge is needed. I don't expect Apple to comply since they make a profit from peripherals.
I meant charger not 'charge.'
It wasn't so long ago that people predicted we'd be flying to other planets daily in 2000, and have weightlessness and beam transporters, that all didn't quite pan out but perhaps in another few decades we'll have unified chargers, (-voice of dr zoidberg:) hooray!
I get it now; the world is going to end in 2012 because the advent of universal a universal charger allows the robots to finally unite in uprising against humanity. A LOT of people have a cell phone...
They should make all cells comply with apple/iPod proprietary 30 pin charger. Just think about it that same single jack carries DC / 5.1 surround audio/ video. We all all know iPod wire dominates on a global level since 2002!!!!!!!!!!
This sucks, so means they will change iPhone 30 pin connector which has been same since 2002!!!!!what the???