European Commission Standardizes MicroUSB as Mobile Charging Port

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The European Commission has declared Micro-USB as the standard for charging ports for mobile phones sold in Europe. This standard applies to data-enabled phones with a computer interface. But that pretty much encompasses all but the lowest-end phones available at these days. Most of the popular phone makers (including Apple!) have agreed to follow the standard.

Is Micro-USB a good choice? Definitely yes. It allows the phones to be really sleek and is durable. And it already is the most popular port for smartphones (and many feature phones) these days. I just hope in future, the manufacturers stop covering the port with flimsy plastic covers. They are a major nuisance.

Here is the Official European Commission announcement which mentions the list of 14 companies that have agreed to follow the standard.

Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major inconvenience for users and leads to unnecessary waste of resources.

Following a request from the European Commission, major producers* of mobile phones have agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding, which was submitted to the Commission, to harmonize chargers for data-enabled mobile phones sold in the EU.
The industry commits to provide chargers compatibility on the basis of the Micro-USB connector.

The implementation of the agreement involves the development or the modification of European Standards, which shall ensure compatibility and safe functioning of the new Common EPS’s (External Power Supplies) with the different mobile terminals.
To this aim, the Commission addressed Standardisation Mandate M/455 to the European Standards Organizations, who have accepted it and have identified relevant working items in order to respond to it.

The first generation of new inter-chargeable mobile phones should reach the EU market from 2010 onwards.
The MoU foresees a future update in order to take into account innovation in technology and its possible uses.

*The following 14 companies have signed the MoU: Apple, Emblaze Mobile, Huawei Technologies, LGE, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion (RIM), Samsung, SonyEricsson, TCT Mobile (ALCATEL mobile phones), Texas Instruments and Atmel.

[via pocketnow.com]