Just heard on the radio that from 1 January all new phones will come with a micro USB charger. You will be able to recycle all those unwanted chargers in your kitchen drawer.

There are also plans in the EU to standardise all small appliances like Game Boys, MP3 players etc. but that will take a little longer.

All new phones? What about iPhones??

Aparently so

The European Commission has now agreed with 14 major mobile firms — including Apple, RIM, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson — that a new standard charger, based on the micro-USB model, will be rolled out by the end of 2011. Three European cheers!

Read more: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/micro-usb-will-be-phone-charger-standard-by-end-of-2011-50002592/#ixzz1E83Gkb2k

Game boys 😆

It’s 2011

I think [with regard to the iPhone] that you will be able to charge them via micro usb but the port will still be there for docking with stations, etc.

Unless all those appliances will become immediately obsolete as soon as you buy a new phone….. doubtful.

Apple will ship an adaptor to enable you to plug a micro USB into the normal 30 pin dock connector. There is such an eco-system built around that connector, Apple aren’t going to change it for anyone. I’ve read that they’ve already agreed this with the EU and that it fits the requirements.

Game Boys

What about my Atari Lynx or Sega Game Gear?

Apparently Michael Jackson liked to play with Game Boys.

Apparently Michael Jackson liked to play with Game Boys.

I think you might be a touch too late with that joke.

Uh oh, it seems this thread’s been derailed and has somehow gone…

How will I charge my ZX81?

How will I charge my ZX81?

Pfffft. Everyone KNOWS the The ZX81 requires 420 mA of power at 7–11 V DC, delivered via a custom 9 V Sinclair transformer. So no charger needed.

Duh!

How will I charge my ZX81?

You can’t they don’t have batteries.

Surely requiring an extra adaptor negates the whole point of having universal chargers? If you forget your charger you can’t just find another because you won’t have the adaptor.

What about iPhones??

If you got a decent phone in the first place, like an HTC Desire, you wouldn’t be worrying 😉 Mine charges from USB, as do my bike lights.

Naff off you cheeky whippersnappers; you’ll all be 54 one day!

What about iPhones??
If you got a decent phone in the first place, like an HTC Desire, you wouldn’t be worrying Mine charges from USB, as do my bike lights.

My iPhone charges from USB. What the heck d’you think that socket on the side of a computer is that it plugs into? I’ve got half a dozen apple dock cables that’ll work with any phone charger with a USB socket. If it has a micro USB you just stick an adaptor on the plug. I see no issues here, unlike those with the various Nokia and SEricsson phones I’ve had, Sony being one of the worst companies for using proprietary connectors that don’t even work across a phone range.
Apple were the first to adopt USB.

This is great news and about 6 years long overdue IMO.

Is it micro or mini? I would prefer mini as I already have lots of mini USB cables but the micro is smaller and I think it may actually be a bit more robust despite being smaller.

As for apple – they should be made to add a second connection to the side or bottom for the new standard. Yes supply an adapter for the current ones but come on, having to have an adapter for the new ones is just stupid and pissing in the face of people trying to stop so much waste electrical goods. A micro usb connector won’t take up much space and they have to keep their current connector due to the amount of junk you can buy that connects to ipods.

Apple were the first to adopt USB.

Psst! We’re not talking about charging from USB, even if we were my old Nokia charged from USB before Apple even thought about entering into the phone market.