EU & Mobile Manufacturers in Launch of Generic Phone Charger

The European Commission and 14 of the mobile phone industry’s top manufacturers have announced that all parties have signed an agreement that sees the launch, expected in early 2011, of a generic mobile phone charger.

The agreement signed, called ‘The Memorandum of Understanding’ has been signed by the EU Commission and Motorola, Apple, Nokia, SonyEricsson, Qualcomm, TCT Mobile – Alcatel Mobile Phones, Emblaze Mobile, Research in Motion – RIM, NEC, Texas Instruments, LGE, Huawei Technologies, Samsung and Atmel.

The new generic phone charger that is being developed is based on a Micro USB connection for use on all data enabled mobile phones. The charger will only be for use on data enabled handsets in the EU – currently 27 states. However, on the decision about the charger only for use on data enabled phones, the EU said that the industry predicts that in the future all mobile phones produced will indeed be data enabled.

27 EU states will be using the generic charger in early 2011, with the EU Commission hoping that phone manufacturers will launch the charger worldwide.

Nevertheless, the agreement does come with a certain amount of maneurverability allowing manufacturers to produce specialised chargers and non-standard chargers providing they are accompanied by the production of an adapter that fits the new generic charger. This will effect, it is foreseen, as affecting the likes of Apple.

New Charger Creates Less Waste

A positive agreed upon by both the EU Commission and the manufacturers is the waste that will be reduced by the new charger. It will mean that each time a new mobile phone pack is produced the need for a charger to be included each and every time will be negated, and eventually meaning that users won’t have to bin ‘old’ chargers as there won’t be an ‘old’ charger.

When announcing the generic mobile phone charger project, Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani quoted “we are pleased that the European Standardisation Bodies have met our request to develop within a short space of time the technical standard necessary for a common mobile phone charger based on the work done by the industry”, adding “it is time for the mobile phone industry to demonstrate its commitment to sell mobiles for the new charger.

The European Commission are also hoping that after the success of the charger in Europe the device will be rolled out across the Globe by manufacturers.

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