Universal Cell Phone Charger On The Way
02/18/2009
As noted in our
Phantom Load article, cell phone chargers are notorious sources of phantom loads, meaning they are drawing electricity even when they are not in use. In the case of cell phone chargers, this is when the battery is fully charged or when the charger is plugged into an outlet without the phone connected. At the
Mobile World Congress, the
GSM Association announced a new universal phone charger that will use 50% less standby power. Not only does this reduce power consumption, but it will also mean less garbage in the future. Combining the high rate of innovation causing cell phones to quickly become obsolete, With cell phones using different types of chargers, the cell phone industry has been contributing a large amount of non-recyclable garbage to landfills. The universal charger, which will use a micro-USB connection, will be available later this year and will allow all cell phones to use the same charger.
