By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

China previously announced plans (way back in 2007) to enforce an universal cell phone charger, which was (and still is) a great idea. Now the European Commission has struck a deal with Apple and other cell phone manufacturers to start selling phones with universal cell phone chargers starting next year.

The EC has decided on the same adapter as China, a micro-USB connector. In a way, it’s surprising that Apple would go along with it. Why? They are pretty picky about the voltage that goes into their iPhones. For example, if you take just any old plug adapter that plugs into a socket, and stick an Apple iPhone USB cable into it, it may or may not work. In fact, there’s a company that sells an adapter to take care of that problem.

Motorola has been the same way in the past; some of their older phones that took mini-USB adapters wouldn’t “just work” with any old adapter.

In February the GSMA, a trade association for GSM-based mobile carriers, announced that it had brokered a deal with handset manufacturers to standardize around the micro-USB adapter in chargers by 2012. And in April of this year, the CTIA, the U.S. wireless trade association, backed the standard.

It’s obvious why this would be great for the consumer. No need to keep multiple chargers around. Right now, for example, I have one charger for my headset and one for my iPhone. My wife is in a similar situation with her headset and Samsung.

Additionally, I have tons of old adapters lying around for old phones, as well. It’s a pile of trashed electronics that may enter landfills in third-world countries.