Apple joins micro-USB charger agreement

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 30th June 2009
Comments (12) Stumble
Apple joins micro-USB charger agreement

The EC has got Apple to join the likes of Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and RIM in agreeing to use a standard micro-USB charger on its handsets.

The days of having to wrangle with multiple mains chargers for multiple devices may be over, with Apple finally agreeing to join a project to move to the micro-USB standard for data and power.

As reported over on CNet, Apple has finally agreed to join a European Commission project which aims to consolidate the various connectors used within the mobile 'phone market – concentrating initially on the wide range of different power connectors favoured by individual manufacturers.

The company joins existing signers of the agreement including Finnish mobile giant Nokia, BlackBerry creator Research in Motion, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and Motorola. It's not just handset makers who are in agreement with the EC, either: companies including Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and NEC, all of whom produce chipsets for mobile 'phones, have also signed up.

The aim of the coalition is to get all mobile handsets equipped with a micro-USB port by 2012, allowing handsets to draw up to 5V at 500mA from a host PC or mains charger. The use of a standardised connector would mean that in-car kits, solar chargers, and emergency power systems purchased for one handset would no longer have to be abandoned should you switch allegiance to a different manufacturer.

Apple has long been a hold out, sticking stubbornly to its Dock Connector system for the charging of the iPhone range. While there are third party adaptors available for the iPhone, they all require a licence from Apple to create – and are useless if you move to a different, non-Apple handset in the future.

Apple – and the rest of the signers – have a while to work out how best to implement the new standard: while the Commission would prefer to see a micro-USB port on all handsets, it wouldn't be too surprising to see certain manufacturers opting to supply a custom micro-USB charging adaptor in order to appease the EC when selling their devices in Europe.

Do you think the move to a harmonised port standard for mobile 'phone chargers is a good idea, or will it mean cramming yet another port on to already packed handsets? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote Blademrk 30th June 2009, 10:27
Quote:
Originally Posted by Article
Apple has long been a hold out, sticking stubbornly to its Dock Connector system for the charging of the iPhone range.
and that doesn't look like it's gonna change - Apple are going to keep the dock connecter and instead offer a dongle to allow the mini-usb charger to work.

Linky
Quote qupada 30th June 2009, 10:44
Doesn't requiring an adapter largely defeat the entire point of the universal charger idea? Surely as much as allowing you to charge your new phone with your old charger the point is you can use anyone else's charger when you're without one? Without the precious adapter a universal charger is just as useless as trying to use another brand's incompatible charger.
Quote Jenny_Y8S 30th June 2009, 10:47
Even with an adaptor this is a good idea, gone will be the days of every device coming with anothe brick that goes into the pile. How many of us have a box full of USB leads we haven't even opened? Or old power bricks from long dead hardware?

But....

It's even better for the manufacturers as they will no longer need to ship their products with a mains adapter at all, and that means they don't have to box up different versions for different markets.

I just wish they had used the mini-usb format which is already really common!
Quote Spiny 30th June 2009, 10:52
It's a good thing, but Apple will need to either add a USB port in addition to the dock connector or have a dongle as you say. It'd pee too many people off with dock connector accessories otherwise.

OTOH, my 6220 classic has a 'standard' Nokia charge socket, and a micro USB...but the micro USB doesn't charge the phone! How's that for naff?
Quote Urgonath 30th June 2009, 11:52
It's a great idea for all the reasons suggested above, but also because once pretty much all phones are using this system. Other devices will all start being manufactured to use the same chargers as well, simply because there will be a demand for it, as well as getting rid of the need to manufacture and package a power supply with the product. I for one would certainly liked to be able to go away for a week and only have to pack one charger for all my devices and not 5 (which is the current total)
Quote tank_rider 30th June 2009, 11:57
By 2012 I would have thought wireless induction charging would be on the rise in which case all of this is useless as induction charging should be universal, not just across phones, but most battery powered consumer devices. Electric toothbrushes have been using it for long enough so I don't see why it's taking this long to get into the rest of the consumer electronics world.
Quote Veles 30th June 2009, 11:58
Quote:
or will it mean cramming yet another port on to already packed handsets?

Not really, it will make it easier, instead of having separate power and data ports on a phone you can just use the 1 micro-USB port.

I can't see this as anything but a good thing and I've got not idea why it took them so long.
Quote Cupboard 30th June 2009, 13:06
Currently I have a reasonable system of carrying one charger (for my phone) which has a USB port that will charge my MP3 player too. They use different connectors but both work fine :) it also has the added convenience that I can use USB extension cables to create a massive wire from plug to bed :)

The only worry I have is that the charger can supply 1.5A which is three times what USB is meant for, and if my MP3 player takes all that can be given its battery won't last very long.
Quote wuyanxu 30th June 2009, 13:13
what's the fuss about?

every phone charger should be compatible with 5v USB from the start.

Apple iPhones and iPods all can be charged through the USB port or though their AC-to-USB adaptor (1A should be good enough). so in the end, all you need to carry is a AC-to-USB adaptor and a couple cables for each phone.

Apple just have the special dock connector, which is already very widely avaliable due to the popular iPod. it's actually much easier to find a way to charge your iPhone than any other phones: ask anyone whether they've got a ipod charger.


also, each device should have over-current protection from the start. so a 1.5 or 2A charger can be made unversal. i know that the iPhone has this as i've used 2A charger with it before and charged at the same rate as the Apple official 1A charger.

in the end, IMHO it's Apple that's best prepared.
Quote Blademrk 30th June 2009, 13:35
my major bugbear is that a lot of USB chargable devices need a driver on the host in order to charge. eg I should be able to plug the USB cable into the powered hub on my monitor and have the device charge without the PC being switched on.
Quote sotu1 30th June 2009, 14:22
apple are *******s. they deliberately held out until we bought a 3gs before agreeing to this so that we're all forced to use their old cables for another generation! grr!
Quote Blademrk 30th June 2009, 15:21
We'll still be using their old cable - they're not dropping the dock connector, they're adding a mini-usb - > Apple Dock adapter so that you can use a mini-usb cable instead (as long as you've got the adapter).

To be fair the ipod/iphone charges over USB anyway and you don't get a wall wart with the device anyway (although there was a handy USB -> 3 pin socket adapter with the 3GS)
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