Univeral chargers

[stewey]

I was told today that a law has been passed in the UK that all cell-phone manufacturers must supply a universal charger with their phones. That is, if you buy a new phone you don't have to buy a new charger: you can use your old one. This is to stop the multitude of chargers being thrown into land-fill sites. Sounds like a good idea to me; is it true?

[squarebear]

I don't see how that will work, as different phones require different connections. It will be a huge device!

[ChuckFickens]

Yes, all phones will have to have a mini usb charger socket.

the bad news is a lot of phone companies will/are using it as an excuse not to supply a charger at all.

[ChuckFickens]

Sorry, micro USB, not mini....

http://www.guardian.c...-mobile-phone-charger

[stewey]

Suarebear, for a universal charger all connections between the phone and charger would have to be the same. So you're saying it's not true.
CF, so you're implying it's not true also. I thought perhaps the guy who told me this didn't know all the facts.

[ChuckFickens]

No, stewey, it is true and I think it's a good thing (apart from the companies using it as an excuse not to supply a charger with every new phone)

[stewey]

That article, CF, made it a lot clearer; thanks, but surely they would have to produce some chargers, just not put one in every box.

[Mick-Talbot]

wouldn't supplying a charger with a new phone defeat the object?

[stewey]

What I suggested, Mick, was Not to put one in the box of each phone sold. Anyway, it sounds like a good idea; there are just too many different types of chargers around. I hope it works and spreads over here to North America.

[ChuckFickens]

I do agree that it would defeat the object if they did give a charger with every phone, but they won't put the prices down for not giving you a charger and will charge you extra if you do need/want one so although it's a great idea I suspect a lot of the motivation for all the phone companies signing up for it was extra profit.

Stewey, it's is planned to go worldwide (has to reall, otherwise the manufacturers would have to make two different models of each phone, one for the European market and one for elsewhere)