Cellphone battery dead? No problem: Just borrow a charger from a friend. Oh, wait — you can't, because your friend doesn't have the same phone as you, and that charger won't work with your phone.
That annoyance will end next year, for Europeans at least. Thanks to the efforts of the European Commission, most cellphones sold in Europe will have a one-size-fits-all charger starting in 2011. So far, 10 major cellphone makers, including Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Research In Motion, have signed on to the agreement.
Today each cellphone ships with its own charger. Different companies use different connectors — and often different models from the same company do too, making it difficult for users to borrow a charger. And when it's time to toss the phone, the charger goes into the bin too.
A universal charger means consumers don't have to get a new charger with every mobile phone. As a bonus, it will be easier to borrow a charger when in need.
And if all that isn't enough, there's the green aspect. One-size-fits-all means fewer chargers will wind up in landfill, less pressure on recycling of the electronic waste, and fewer resources consumed in manufacturing chargers.
American users will have to wait. Without a government agency setting a deadline, it is up to handset makers to make the switch to a single standard.
Ultimately, economics will force handset makers in the U.S. to change, say industry experts. As companies move to a universal charger in Europe, they will bring the same connectors to U.S. models.http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/europe-univeral-phone-charger/
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