How many mobile phone chargers have you had in your lifetime? A quick straw poll here at CHOICE found that on average, each of us have had five phone chargers. Some admitted to having nine – including staff members who claim not to be concerned about keeping up with the latest trends in mobile and smartphones.
Case study: Finding the right charger
Phil is a senior registered nurse at a major Sydney hospital. On his ward, staff often need to charge patients’ mobile phones. They keep 10 different chargers, all of which have been left behind by patients and never claimed, in a backroom for this purpose.
Recently, Phil needed to contact the next-of-kin of a new patient who couldn’t talk or write for herself. The 93-year-old patient did have a mobile phone, but it had a flat battery. To Phil’s exasperation, none of the 10 chargers he had could do the job. (Luckily, the patient’s niece tracked her aunt to the hospital and arrived later that day .)
Universal chargers are coming
Last October, the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) approved a voluntary standard for universal phone chargers. This will allow the same charger to be used, regardless of a handset’s make or model.
According to the ITU, under the standard chargers will also become more energy-efficient. Over time, the standard is expected to lead to fewer chargers produced, transported and thrown out. Consumers will benefit from being able to charge their mobiles anywhere from an available charger. The ITU says many companies have agreed to comply with the standard for new products by 2012, including 3 Group, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telstra and Vodafone.