Apple Not On Board With A Universal Charger?

Wouldn't the world be a better place if all mobile phones used a standard charger? Apparently Apple doesn't think so. The GSMA, a group which represents the interests of GSM operators, along with 17 mobile operators announced that they plan to implement a cross-industry standard for a universal mobile phone charger. The universal charging solution, or UCS as they call it, would use a standard Micro-USB connector. UCS chargers would include a 4-star efficiency rating or higher, and could potentially decrease the amount of chargers being manufactured by up to 50 percent, effectively reducing greenhouses gases by 13.6 to 21.8 million tons per year. The group has a target date of January 1, 2012 for full implementation.

"The mobile industry has a pivotal role to play in tackling environmental issues and this programme is an important step that could lead to huge savings in resources, not to mention convenience for consumers," said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board of the GSMA. "There is enormous potential in mobile to help people live and work in an eco-friendly way and with the backing of some or the biggest names in the industry, this initiative will lead the way."

The group consists of big names like AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile and Vodafone. If you haven't noticed by now, Apple isn't on the list. Apple has been using their own proprietary dock connector since 2003 and it's not like Apple to give into any industry standards. Apple has been constantly telling us how green their new products are so it would be logical for them to at least consider following this standard.

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