One Charger for all Phones – in three years

A common type of Micro USB connector (right). On left is earbud connector(audio out).
A common type of Micro USB connector (right). On left is earbud connector(audio out).

Why did a universal charger for all cell phones take so long? And why won’t it happen until Jan. 1, 2012? Happy Earth Day, by the way.

I have posed those question to the CTIA – The Wireless Association and await the answers. I have no fewer than 15 surplus cell phone chargers awaiting disposal. And I have maybe half that many for notebook computers.

So the good news is that the CTIA on April 1 (no joke) at its annual convention in Las Vegas agreed on a common charger standard called, appropriately enough, the “Universal Charging Solution.” The CITA said in a press release that UCS will meet EnergyStar requirements and “will provide an estimated 50% reduction in standby energy consumption.” I’m not quite sure what that last statement lifted from the press release means. Micro USB will be the connector format (see pic).

In February, the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Phones Association) said 17 mobile phone makers came together on the standard and labeled the 2012 target date for implementation “ambitious.” I guess chargers are more complex than they look, but the idea is to reduce their insidious ubiquity by 50%, according to the GSMA.

In the same press release, the CTIA addressed cell phone recycling and reminded anyone doing so to erase their data use the free data eraser.

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