EU edges closer to the universal mobile phone charger

17 March, 2014
If accepted by the European Council, the new rules for the common charger will be official in two years.

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  • D
  • AnonD-80464
  • prj
  • 19 Mar 2014

AnonD-238040, 17 Mar 2014thats the best thing about usb port, it can downward compat... moreI have only 1 picture for you :)
http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/U3Jjw.jpg

    • E
    • Elbrigat
    • nDQ
    • 18 Mar 2014

    what will apple do now? :))

      • D
      • AnonD-195372
      • XMF
      • 18 Mar 2014

      apple gonna push u using new lightning microusb converter..... n the price is..... lol

        • t
        • teasy t
        • iif
        • 17 Mar 2014

        This is great news.Forward thinking from the EU.
        My thoughts go out to all the Apple users...haha

          • D
          • AnonD-147044
          • 0$q
          • 17 Mar 2014

          AnonD-209094, 17 Mar 2014Sharpest knife in the drawer, no doubt. Is the charger the ... moreApple already made all your expensive accessories obsolete once anyways when they switched to a new connector.

            • D
            • AnonD-147044
            • 0$q
            • 17 Mar 2014

            Wow, I'm really excited to see how Apple will handle this.

              • D
              • AnonD-142922
              • nxk
              • 17 Mar 2014

              AnonD-209094, 17 Mar 2014Sharpest knife in the drawer, no doubt. Is the charger the ... moreu completely misunderstood the point !!!

                • D
                • AnonD-142922
                • nxk
                • 17 Mar 2014

                Anonymous, 17 Mar 2014Because if they make both ends Lightning you won't be able ... morethat would be their problem not mine !

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • 98g
                  • 17 Mar 2014

                  AnonD-155018, 17 Mar 2014How about Apple? How are they going to do this? Their charg... morethey get round it by bringing out an adapter what costs you 25 pounds in the UK.

                    • P
                    • Phonenab
                    • Fht
                    • 17 Mar 2014

                    AnonD-155018, 17 Mar 2014How about Apple? How are they going to do this? Their charg... moreOf course their products officially sold through european retailers will need to use microUsb.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-155018
                      • 3Rm
                      • 17 Mar 2014

                      How about Apple? How are they going to do this? Their charger is different, right? Or it just doesn't apply to them?

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                        • Anonym
                        • g51
                        • 17 Mar 2014

                        Anonymous, 17 Mar 2014Actually it wouldnt be very difficult. The charger needs a ... moreYeah, that's a nice though for a unified connector that allows the reuse of chargers... not the same concept you have in phones in which "one charger that fits all devices".

                        It all comes down to this: Size and Power Rating.

                        Don't be oblivious to the fact that gaming laptops require chargers of a massive power rating (that reveal themselves through their even more massive size), which would be plain *stupid* to carry around for an Ultrabook (or a even a regular notebook for that matter).

                        The same is true the other way around, you can't use a small (low power rating) charger on those massing power houses without risking seeing the charger blow right in front of you.

                        It's not that easy, the "one charger that fits all" is something you just won't see it happening.
                        A unified connector that allow the reuse of similar rated chargers on the other hand yes, that is what the ITU is working on solving.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • mhB
                          • 17 Mar 2014

                          Anonym, 17 Mar 2014They are working on it (a unified connector), but it's much... moreActually it wouldnt be very difficult. The charger needs a data connection, for two way communication between charger and laptop (but only low bandwidth is required). Some chargers already has that.
                          And selectible power putput controlled by the info given from that data connection. (it would not have to offer all of the different power outputs of current laptop chargers, as manefateurs, would simply tune their devices, according to the standards).

                          It would add some cost to the charger, but not that much really. Laptop chargers are not that cheap today either, and such a system, would cut down the amount of chargers every single computer manefacteur has to have in their portfolio to only 1 single one, and that will save some money, that can be used to lower costs by buying components in larger bulks. And the added competition from 3rd party manefacteurs would also keep prices down. So you will probably be able to find a laptop charger for less than today, despite the added technology.

                          Ok, so the main problem is what the port should look like. But when EU started to look in to mobile chargers, back in the mini-usb days, it wasnt even that common. Ok so the chinese helped, they should probably push it on to the agenda of a G8 summon, or similar. I'm sure that if the talk about a future standard requirement, most manefacteurs would switch to that connector even without the passing of a law.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 3Ax
                            • 17 Mar 2014

                            Anonym, 17 Mar 2014Please do tell me something that Lightning can do but other... moreIt can scare people and also causes thunder

                              • A
                              • Anonym
                              • g51
                              • 17 Mar 2014

                              AnonD-615, 17 Mar 2014Next step Laptop charger - please make fast.They are working on it (a unified connector), but it's much harder than phones, since there can never be a single unified charger (because there is a wide range of power requirements vs portability for each computer).

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                                • Anonym
                                • g51
                                • 17 Mar 2014

                                AnonD-209094, 17 Mar 2014Sharpest knife in the drawer, no doubt. Is the charger the ... morePlease do tell me something that Lightning can do but other micro-USB compliant ports (not necessarily *just* standard) can't do.

                                Please refrain from answering the question with any variant of "annoy the hell out of people with proprietary connectors that eventually change and force the repurchase of accessories" and "shackle people to Apples proprietary stuff" (which are indeed both true).

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • nIt
                                  • 17 Mar 2014

                                  AnonD-209094, 17 Mar 2014Sharpest knife in the drawer, no doubt. Is the charger the ... moreSo use Bluetooth like the rest of the world.

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-151727
                                    • pER
                                    • 17 Mar 2014

                                    What do you say timMy?

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-615
                                      • 9LG
                                      • 17 Mar 2014

                                      Next step Laptop charger - please make fast.

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-238040
                                        • IVN
                                        • 17 Mar 2014

                                        thats the best thing about usb port, it can downward compatible, unlike the fruit product, always want to make himself look special & have sooooo many types of connectors among thier devices which is not compatible to each other