davieG Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Europe backs call for universal smartphone charger Phone chargers still come in all shapes and sizes Continue reading the main story Related Stories Phones become tricorder and stun gun Dangerous phone charger warning Phone firms back common chargers The maddening scramble to find the right charger for your smartphone could be coming to an end. European politicians have backed a regulation that will force smartphone makers to use just one type of charger. On Thursday MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the regulation, which will see a common charger used for smartphones by 2017. The regulation was drawn up to help consumers and to cut down on the amount of electronic waste. "This serves the interests both of consumers and the environment," said MEP Barbara Weiler in a statement. "It will put an end to charger clutter and 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually." The regulation is still only a draft law and must be approved by Europe's council of ministers. However, that body has already given its informal backing to the law, suggesting it will win final approval. European member states will have until 2016 to translate the regulation into national laws and manufacturers will then have 12 months to switch to the new design. The process of getting manufacturers to agree on a common design began in 2009. The design of charger being favoured uses a Micro USB connector - a format used on many handsets and other devices already. Apple has yet to respond to the proposals as it is one of the few manufacturers that produces gadgets with proprietary power ports. However, it was one of the original signatories of the agreement Europe reached with manufacturers to produce the chargers.
Mike the Metal Ed Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 My only concern is what happens if USB 3.0, with its extra pins, becomes the new standard for attaching phones via USB? Will the agreed standard move parallel to technology?
DennisNedry Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 I guess being in the EU was bound to have it's advantages sooner or later!
Dr The Singh Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 FFS, having these feckers got better things to do, like reduce poverty, crime, STD's????
Adster Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Pretty sure this policy is mostly adopted in the UK anyway. Bar Apple most android-powered new smartphones (Samsung, Nokia, HTC) can all be charged using the same cable.
Danizen Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 I don't care about which adapter my phone uses. I'd love to be able to buy a phone and choose which operating system I can install.
Strokes Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Hundreds of billions of pounds a year and they give us a standardised smartphone charger. Yay UKIP must be shitting themselves
bluesbrothers Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Well played once again Brussels. Never mind the fact that, unless you're part of the stubborn Apple master race, you won't have bought a phone with a bespoke charger anywhere in the developed world for half a decade now. The days of asking around the office if anyone "has a Nokia charger" are long gone - unless the phone market in some of the backward nations we're forced to prop up nowadays is still plopping out 3310's like yesterday's chilli. Is there anything about the EU that isn't hideously behind the times?
lavrentis Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Good to see the EU have their priorities set. Countries going down the shitter but lets worry about standardised charger cables.
Exeter Fox Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 You guys understand the EU can do more than one thing at once right?
Strokes Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 You guys understand the EU can do more than one thing at once right?I do, I just wish they wouldn't do any of them.
Strokes Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 What a waste of time.Just think of those valuable seconds saved, when you want to charge one of your many different brands of smartphones.
Bellend Sebastian Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 Back off Eurocrats! My drawer half full of redundant phone chargers is part of what makes me British. I collect them even though I've never actually owned a mobile phone
The God Emperor Posted 14 March 2014 Posted 14 March 2014 I'm so thankful that the father of the people is there to organise our lives.
Haydos Posted 15 March 2014 Posted 15 March 2014 Don't we already have one in the micro usb? All my mates phones seem to use it apart from those unique snowflakes with iphones.
Stadt Posted 15 March 2014 Posted 15 March 2014 I'm not keen on the EU by any means but this is probably the result of some small commission that's part of the EU - I can hardly see big debates about it calling for change.
Zingari Posted 15 March 2014 Posted 15 March 2014 Can they standardize bike tyre pump connections too while they're at it ? Those car type valve connectors always lose half the air you've just pumped into them when you real;lease it.
Strokes Posted 15 March 2014 Posted 15 March 2014 Can they standardize bike tyre pump connections too while they're at it ? Those car type valve connectors always lose half the air you've just pumped into them when you real;lease it.Pipe down you old windbag.
Zingari Posted 15 March 2014 Posted 15 March 2014 Pipe down you old windbag. have you been talking to my missus ?
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