# Universal Smartphone Charger!



## weltweit (Mar 20, 2014)

So, they tried an initiative some years ago to establish a universal charger for mobile phones, it proved too complicated to get agreement I think and it was put on hold.

But now it appears they are making another attempt to establish a standard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24726077

Thoughts, issues, can it be done? should it be done?


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## lizzieloo (Mar 20, 2014)

Hasn't this happened already?


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 20, 2014)

It's called the mini usb


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## weltweit (Mar 20, 2014)

lizzieloo said:


> Hasn't this happened already?


I think it has been talked about and I think perhaps the latest iPhones use it but I don't think all new smartphones are using it yet. I think, I don't know!



skyscraper101 said:


> It's called the mini usb


Yes it seems to be. Do you know skyscraper101 how many of the manufacturers have adopted it yet?


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 20, 2014)

weltweit said:


> I think it has been talked about and I think perhaps the latest iPhones use it but I don't think all new smartphones are using it yet. I think, I don't know!
> 
> 
> Yes it seems to be. Do you know skyscraper101 how many of the manufacturers have adopted it yet?



Most of them, except Apple in my experience.


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## xenon (Mar 20, 2014)

I've got 5 different types of USB cable plugged into this machine, only one of them's for a phone. I'd just prefer longer battery life. Having a few spare cables isn't really a problem.


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## weltweit (Mar 20, 2014)

skyscraper101 said:


> Most of them, except Apple in my experience.


Oh.. I was just with someone who had a new iPhone and the charger connector looked to me like a mini usb...


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 20, 2014)

weltweit said:


> Oh.. I was just with someone who had a new iPhone and the charger connector looked to me like a mini usb...



No Apple dont do mini usb, but they may be forced to if the EU gets its way on this. The new iphones have a smaller input which does look more mini USB like than their other older big ones.


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## Fez909 (Mar 20, 2014)

I can't remember the last non-apple phone I saw that didn't have micro-usb.


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## weltweit (Mar 20, 2014)

It would make life simpler if all used the same cable.

My iPhone 4S's white charging cable is pretty pathetic, I am already on my second ..


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 20, 2014)

weltweit said:


> It would make life simpler if all used the same cable.
> 
> My iPhone 4S's white charging cable is pretty pathetic, I am already on my second ..



Obviously it would be a lot better if Apple could just get with the standardisation of it all. 10 years ago, it was a lot worse, every phone manufacturer had a different type of connecting cable leading to tons of waste and incompatibility.


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## lizzieloo (Mar 20, 2014)

My nexus 7, Samsung phone and my husband's BlackBerry all have the same port.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 20, 2014)

It's such a shit idea. Means we'll be stuck for years with whatever is deemed ok now, rather than whatever is best at the time.


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## xenon (Mar 20, 2014)

AT least the contemporary IPhone one can go in either way. USB4 is supposed to do that too but no phones have that.


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## xenon (Mar 20, 2014)

weltweit said:


> It would make life simpler if all used the same cable.
> 
> My iPhone 4S's white charging cable is pretty pathetic, I am already on my second ..



Just get a few off Ebay. You can get 3 for a fiver.


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## weltweit (Mar 21, 2014)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> It's such a shit idea. Means we'll be stuck for years with whatever is deemed ok now, rather than whatever is best at the time.


Ok Bees, you seem to be the only one on this thread so far saying it is a bad idea, can you expand on your reasons?

I see some benefit in the fact that we will all be able to charge more easily, have fewer cables around the place and probably cables that are cheaper also. Plus when we upgrade to a new phone we don't have to pay for a new charger cable because we will already have one.


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## weltweit (Mar 21, 2014)

xenon said:


> Just get a few off Ebay. You can get 3 for a fiver.


My understanding is they are not official Apple leads and last even less time than the real deal ones!


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 21, 2014)

weltweit said:


> Ok Bees, you seem to be the only one on this thread so far saying it is a bad idea, can you expand on your reasons?
> 
> I see some benefit in the fact that we will all be able to charge more easily, have fewer cables around the place and probably cables that are cheaper also. Plus when we upgrade to a new phone we don't have to pay for a new charger cable because we will already have one.


It's a crap idea because the laws that govern this can't keep up with the advancing tech. This law won't even come in for another couple of years, by which time the micro USB will almost certainly be old news. Apples lighting connector is better - faster, more compact, can be used either way. Why should they have to go back to something worse?  And it neednt be just Apple stuff, I'm sure Samsung or Sony or whoever could come up with some better solutions.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 21, 2014)

And Apple won't ditch the lightning connector anyway, they'd just do an adaptor.


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## pesh (Mar 21, 2014)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Apples lighting connector is better - faster, more compact, can be used either way.



it's faster in name only, it's still USB2. the fact it can be used either way will obviously help numpties but the fact they seem to break as soon as you look at them probably negates that.


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## Hocus Eye. (Mar 21, 2014)

skyscraper101 said:


> It's called the mini usb


No the mini USB is larger than the common phone connector. That is called the *micro *USB.


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## editor (Mar 21, 2014)

It's just fucking Apple. Just about every new non-Apple phone in the known universe uses micro USB.


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 21, 2014)

Re: Apple, I thought this was interesting, that they were one of the original signatories to producing a common standard.



> Apple has yet to respond to the proposals as it is one of the few manufacturers that produces gadgets with proprietary power ports. However, it was one of the original signatories of the agreement Europe reached with manufacturers to produce the chargers.


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## weltweit (Mar 21, 2014)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> And Apple won't ditch the lightning connector anyway, they'd just do an adaptor.


But an adaptor would surely be a viable solution and would reduce leads in the field?


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## Hocus Eye. (Mar 21, 2014)

Weltweit I am sure you are a delightful chap in real life but you do write some strange posts.


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## weltweit (Mar 21, 2014)

Hocus Eye. said:


> Weltweit I am sure you are a delightful chap in real life but you do write some strange posts.


wHADDAYA mean ..... which was the strange post ?


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