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Nokia, Apple, RIM and others agree on micro-USB phone charger standard for Europe
While the free-market works pretty well when, uh, left alone to be free, sometimes it needs a push from a visible hand. Case in point, phone chargers; at the moment some 30 different types of chargers are used with handsets throughout Europe. Today, the European Commission received industry backing of its phone charger standard that relies on a micro-USB socket. The standard is now backed by all the majors (representing 90% of the European mobile market) including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Apple, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Research in Motion, Samsung and Texas Instruments with compatible devices starting to appear in Europe next year. Or course, the micro-USB charger standard already has the blessings of CTIA, OMTP, and GSM Association which implies a broader adoption beyond Europe, someday. One charger for any mobile phone... where's the catch?
CTIA follows industry trend, throws weight behind micro-USB
The EU's already given micro-USB its blessing as the preferred charging standard for all things mobile, and now, CTIA has done the same in the States. The move makes perfect sense considering that the OMTP and GSM Association have both endorsed it -- and if there's one thing the entire universe can agree on, it's that proprietary connectors suck. Micro-USB is being lumped together with Energy Star compliance to form the Universal Charging Solution initiative with the goal of getting everyone on the same page by the beginning of 2012. We think that's a pessimistic goal, truth be told; tons of modern phones are already rocking micro-USB, so why can't we make this happen by, say, the beginning of 2010 instead?[Via Phone Scoop]
The $1.94 reason micro-USB is the new phone charging standard
Yep, we're all gonna get squeezed for accessories again as the member companies of the GSM Association begin standardizing on micro-USB chargers, and while we're happy that the madness is over, we can't help but feel the decision to use micro-USB over the already-ubiquitous mini-USB was purely greed-driven -- sure, micro-USB's supposedly more robust connector can handle something like 10x more disconnects, but if mini is good enough for everything from pro-level DSLRs to rugged portable hard drives, it's probably good enough for your average flip phone, don't you think? Sigh.[Via Geardiary]
OMTP agrees on micro-USB standard for mobiles
Just over eight months after the USB Implementers Forum completed the micro-USB specification, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) has recommended that the protocol be accepted as a universal standard for charging and syncing mobile devices. Reportedly, the "OMTP's paper recommends that the micro-USB standard" be adopted across the mobile industry in order to "streamline the whole value chain and provide end users with a larger choice of the most popular peripherals." Still, we're not told when handset manufacturers will start offering up the new port en masse, but at least we're makin' progress, eh?
Mobile phones to adopt smaller micro-USB connector
Just when you think another protocol change couldn't possibly surface and force you to purchase more adapters in order to operate your gadgets, it does. Sure enough, the USB Implementers Forum has recently announced that we loyal consumers will all be shelling out a few extra bucks as new mobile handsets, PDAs, and digital cameras adopt a new, smaller "micro-USB" adapter for syncing / charging. As the RAZRs of the world get thinner and thinner, so too must the port with which we charge it. While there's no apparent size specification just yet, all we know is that it'll be smaller than the current implementation, and inevitably require additional purchases in order to use. Additionally, the USB-IF stated the new standard would support USB On-The-Go, and will feature a "stainless steel shell" to reportedly yield "more than 10,000 insertion cycles" before your charging port is rendered completely inutile. No word on when to expect the ultra-diminutive port to start showing up on handsets, but look for it on the first mobile barely thicker than a credit card.[Via Mobileburn]
