Support for universal micro-USB phone chargers grows with ITU approval
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Oct 23rd 2009 5:40PM
posted Oct 23rd 2009 5:40PM
The entire wireless industry has been congealing around micro-USB as a universal charging standard for a while now, and we've taken yet another important step toward completely ridding the world of bizarre proprietary connectors (you know what we're talking about, Samsung) with ITU ratification this week. The UN-backed International Telecommunication Union isn't just making the move to make our lives a little less hellish, though -- it's also a strategic environmental move on a couple fronts, since universal chargers mean consumers will be able to hold on to a single charger over the life of several phones and modern chargers are far more power efficient than models that are even just a couple years old. The ITU move isn't binding or compulsory, but there's enough momentum behind micro-USB at this point that it's pretty much going to happen for any phone you'd ever consider buying going forward, and many of the big players have already hopped on the bandwagon. We won't lie, we won't miss the days of buying a $40 car charger that powers, like, two LG models.[Thanks, d0mth0ma5]
This kind of 'standardization' is long overdue... Bring It On!
iPhone need not apply no doubt
Sorry for making the same point scattered all across the article but I believe that if they want to sell in the EU they have to release at least an adaptor (ironic i know) if they want to sell in the 2011 market and onwards. So maybe that'll be a micro-usb to dock connector adaptor, i guess.
Providers have been making far too much money on chargers. Why else would they go through the hassle of having 20 different plugs in the kiosk?
I think Apple will probably invent a new miniusb port variant just to keep milking their customers and make it appear they are forward-thinkers also..
We actually need standardization in as many spheres of consumer electronics ( among other industries ) as possible. It would be great to have a universal laptop charger. In fact, the mobile phone standard adapter should also be embraced by other hand held devices ( PMPs , MP3 players, Digital cameras, Handheld gaming consoles, ebook readers ) as well. It would relieve the user of having to keep multiple chargers, would be economical , and of course more environment friendly as well.
Can someone explain the advantage micro-usb has over regular mini-usb? I'm totally infuriated that they're making another standard when mini-usb was just fine. Is the point of this just to make a new standard so people would have to buy all new wall warts?
why use a large mini usb when micro is much smaller and fits in phones better i would presume
Micro is thinner, which suits the crazy 'omg my phone is paper thin' trend. The width is the same though. So there are size differences, just not substantial. Also, MicroUSB's locking mechanism is slightly more secure/solid.
Because the micro usb is so small it is very prone to breaking or loose connections after very little wear.
Yeah, but the nice thing about mini USB is its really obvious which side is which. With micro USB I'm always trying to plug the connector in upside down then having to look REALLY CLOSELY to figure out which is which. As long as they can build a dock that the phone will drop into and charge without too much messing about, I suppose its fine.
Also, they need to standardize this for Bluetooth Headsets too, not just cellphones. The ridiculous chargers for these things are worse than the ones for the phones.
The micro has vampie fangs which keep it in place despite tugs--you might need this in the real world if you use the phone with the cord attached.
I guess "any phone you'd consider buying" does not include the iPhone?
But haven't you heard...
The iPhone is exempt from the normal rules because it's a 'gaming platform/pocket computer' that just happens to have an 'app' that allows it to make calls. ;-)
Let's face it, as a phone, especially given AT&T's service quality, the iPhone effort is not much to brag about 85k apps or not, so let them remain proprietary if they choose.
It does if they want to sell it in the EU. The EU stated that it has to be adopted for any phones sold there after 2010, so an iPhone adaptor should be coming our way in June (??) for the 2011 market.
@DaHarder
Then that is one MORE plus for the Palm Pre. It has a MicroUSB port, and does all that gaming and other stuff.
They allowed adapters as an acceptable solution. So I assume Apple will sell you a $29.95 cable with a female micro USB on one end and a dock connector on the other...
Or maybe just offer micro USB connectors on their phones AS WELL as the dock connectors. Have to see.
i just bought a car charger for my moto phone yesterday. At BestBuy there were so many chargers and you had to test your phone with the plug before you buy. Good riddance to that mess.
The micro usb standard was a some what good idea..... 3 years ago when I first saw it. But the time this standard is actually finished it will be out of date.
Not to mention as a actual connector micro usb is horrible as it very weak and is prone to having a very loose connection after only a relatively small amount of wear. I used it back when I had the razer 2 and it was by far the weakest connector I've ever seen pass on a "high end" phone.
Thanks for your input! What would you suggest as a better interface? How about Molex connectors. Do you think those would work?
I recommend a DB-25 parallel printer port. (We heard you like documents, so we put a printer in your phone so you can print while you talk!)
Hell yes Molex connectors ftw :P I think he has a good point about the flimsiness - that's what was kinda nice w/ MiniUSB, there was no moving parts that would break the minute you looked at the charger wrong.
And in a year they will be all transitioning to "micro-lightpeak"
"(you know what we're talking about, Samsung)"
Or Apple? The iPod connector, along with iTunes, are the worst two things about iPods.
The iPod connector has been great!
I've had the same cord that came with my first iPod and I am still
using it two iPods later.
Not to mention that if any friend needs to charge their iPod/ Touch / iPhone
that same cord will work for their device too
As i mentioned above, the only issue will be if apple switch to micro-usb as per the EU regulations, however I think they'll get away with an adaptor, however that'll work...
Apple will shift for the EU and only the EU. Everyone else will have the same old adapters.
It sounds good, but you'll probably still have a big old warning telling you your warranty is void if you don't use their charger or a computer (not that they'll be able to tell).
Idiots, they should have used nano-usb.
Femto-USB is where it's at.
So we shouldn't expect the Iphone to change? That seems crazy.
That is gross.
I have had my Palm Pre with a MicroUSB connector sense release day. I have had no problems with the connector at all.
I have had my lg incite since release day and have never had a problem with the mirco usb.
So, all the anti-Apple comments..... You people are on a tech blog, but you don't seem to have much of a clue about tech? What a bunch of ignorant dipshits you all are. Pathetic that your education is so poor.
"Under the agreement, manufacturers would start using micro-USB connections for phone chargers used for smartphones. Apple joins other big cell phone makers including LG, Motorola, Nokia, Research In Motion, Samsung and Sony Ericsson in agreeing to the new standard. Chipset makers, such as NEC, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments have also agreed to the deal."
You've made a good point but I fear you're about about to disappear.
By the time this happens most responses will be....
Who cares? (shoulder shrug)
In the case of the iPhone the iPod dock connector itself is a defacto standard so it wouldn't be a good idea to drop it. Adding a second port could be an option but it would be a bit confusing to some people. Including a micro-USB/iPod Dock adapter with each iPhone would probably make the most sense.
Pop quiz! Which phone shares the iPhone's "defacto standard" dock connector?
Jarek: It's a standard between the 30 million iphones out there. That many creates something of a standard on its own.
apple were the fist company to sign upto this, or in europe anyway. We knew about this in the UK over 1 year ago, what we don't know is if apple will simply add the socket to european iphones
ridata: Then how about the 400 million yearly Nokia pop-port or 100 million yearly Sony Ericsson fastport phones? Those sound like more popular standards to me.
I think its funny that the charger example in this article is a micro-usb unit with a fixed cable at the charger end.
If standardization and waste minimization is the goal, all the chargers should have a USB-A socket connector, so you could use the charger for more than micro-usb phones, and your cable for the phone would double as a computer interface.
Yes.. hilarious.
And please put the port at the bottom of the cell so I can dock it in my car and desk.
I'm tired of having to open and break small flaps to charge my cellphone everyday!
Yeah, I've already got a pile of mini USB chargers on my desk from people who got new Blackberrys.Standardization is great but its going to cause an e-waste bubble before it changes anything.
If modern chargers are more efficient, doesn't extending the lifetime of chargers with standardization actually work against efficiency? In 2020 we'll all be using the Micro-USB chargers we buy today but the 2020 models will be more efficient.
The efficiency of the charger is independent of it's connector type.
I didn't say they were related. Read the post again -- the claim was made that connector standardization will have energy consumption benefits because today's chargers are more efficient than yesterday's. I'm saying that if that is true, connector standardization could actually hurt because people will hold on to inefficient chargers for longer.
Not one comment on government regulation killing innovation, color me surprised.
I personally think standardization is great, but they should revisit the standard at least every 2 years, if not every year. I'd also like to know what requirements did they base their choice on? Speed? Power? Reliability? I hope they take ease of charging into account. I think most of us would rather just be able to drop our phone somewhere and let it charge, no fiddling or inserting required.
Micro USB is not flimsy or weak
I actually have a giant plastic box that's just filled with chargers for devices. It's next to impossible to find the right charger for some of my devices, even though I maintain somewhat of an effort to keep this box organized.
Well how about they let them charge off of any USB 5.0amp powered USB cable instead of just their charger and a computer. I've had two phones now that wont charge off of store-bought car power adapters with usb ports on them. Only my iPod charges off those.
5V, not 5A.
"modern chargers are far more power efficient than models that are even just a couple years old"
That statement contradicts the idea behind standardizing the cell phone charging industry. I think it's a ridiculous idea to make a universal charger.
Has HTC gotten on board yet?
what hampers this is manufactures that want to have their cake and eat it to. my motorola Q9M uses a microusb port for data and charging, it'll charge from a computer from any cable [sometimes activesync needs to be there on a xp machine.] i have gotten a blackberry charger to work with it, but an other brand's AC adapter would not work. an error popped up on the phone that this was not an approved motorola product. really, guys?