Universal mobile chargers for 2012

Major handset manufacturers and operators have teamed up to bring a universal phone charger to the market by 2012. Supporters of the project include the biggest consumer phone providers including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, Motorola and Samsung.

Other than convenience, the new universal charger will also boast relatively environmentalist credentials, with a claimed 50% power use reduction over current models.

It'll use a micro-USB socket, so there will no longer be a need for half a dozen chargers to litter every houehold. Since this is a socket used in a wide variety of other applicances too, it'll be interesting to see whether these new chargers will work with them too.

Mitti Storckovious, director of environment devices at Nokia, told the BBC website that its support for the project will "contribute further in improving the industry's environmental footprint".

Even without considering the environment, the convenience factor of having a single charger for all phones is welcome is a market full of variously shaped proprietary phone jacks.