Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

While I'm a big supporter of open competition in the marketplace, I'm happy to see the world's major mobile phone companies have agreed to adopt a universal charger from next year.

When you're packing in a hurry for a quick business job or a weekend trip away, it's easy to forget the all-important cellphone charger cable. Borrowing a power charger means finding another phone user with the same brand and from a similar model.

Things should become easier from next year, with Nokia, Samsung, LG Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, RiM, and NEC all signing up to the agreement, which will ensure their data-enabled phones and chargers work together.

These 8 major cell phone manufacturers account for 80%+ of the market, with plans for the universal charger to connect via the Micro-USB interface.

The agreement technically applies to the EU region, but it's expected phones and chargers will also be standardised internationally.

Consumer rights groups are calling for companies to broaden the universal power adapter plans to also include the likes of digital cameras, PDAs, and mp3 players.

* NZ Herald: Mobile phone giants agree on universal charger

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