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Micro-USB Cellphone Charger Becomes EU Standard

Posted by timothy on from the wish-they-seemed-stronger dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The European Commission has put into effect a June 2009 agreement stating that major cellphone manufacturers should standardize their charging/data connection ports to the popular Micro-USB format. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI provided the standards by which these 14 companies will abide to make cell phone recharging and data transfer easy." Apple may even bring the next-gen iPad along for the ride.

9 of 302 comments (clear)

  1. US by weems · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wish they would do this in the US. It's dumb that each company has their own chargers.

    1. Re:US by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I would guess that most companies are going to bring it over to the US by default. If they have to design the EU versions with micro usb then hopefully they wont reinvent the wheel to redesign it for a US release.

    2. Re:US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But, but... the invisible hand of the market?!

      (Yes, that was sarcasm).

    3. Re:US by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Worse, they might corrupt the whole idea by supporting USB, but requiring the charger to authenticate itself, and either refusing to charge or deliberately drawing less power when you detect the wrong charger.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
    4. Re:US by Randle_Revar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Self-organized only because the EU threatened to impose it on them if they didn't do it themselves.

      --
      Climate Progress - Hell and High Water
  2. Re:About damn time. by rrohbeck · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is so ridiculously obvious that lots of libertarians will scream murder. Forcing a standard down our throat, oh the arrogance! I will only buy phones with a different connector just out of spite!

    --
    thegodmovie.com - watch it
  3. Re:Murtazin is not a "trusted insider" by DrXym · · Score: 4, Insightful
    What Apple will allow software and hardware related will be the issue.

    It's not hard to see what will happen there. Nothing. 3rd parties that pay $$$ will get to licence limited access to whatever APIs expose music streaming, volume control etc.

    I expect by default that the change in cable will let you charge via a standard cable and preciselessly nothing else.

  4. Re:Here we go again. by TyFoN · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Considering that they can't even make a standard mini-jack for audio without crippling to only accept their authorized accessories, I would say option 1. If they can't sway enough then option 2 obviously.

  5. Re:And will this allow for innovation still? by Shin-LaC · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Cell phone manufacturer had a chance to get it right, but for years they chose to use custom connectors and make a killing selling overpriced chargers and cables.
    Sometimes the invisible hand of the market needs a little nudging from the mighty foot of the state.