O2 wants mobile operators to stop offering phone chargers
January 18th, 2013 • 13 Comments
O2 are calling network operators and telling them to stop offering chargers with mobile phones. They’re doing this after they conducted a pilot program with customers, and they found that most would be happy to buy handsets without chargers.
The three-month trial saw O2 selling the HTC One X+ smartphone with a detachable USB cable, but without a USB charger. The plug was made available to buy at cost price and, apparently, 82% of One X+ customers said they were happy to buy a handset without the charger, presumably because they’ve got an old one that works with their phone or they can charge it via their computer.
“The results of the trial demonstrate a clear willingness among consumers to consider and respond to the environmental argument for taking a phone charger-free,” said O2 boss Ronan Dunne. “I now hope that as a result of this study the rest of the industry will now consider joining us in our campaign to take chargers out of the box for good.”
Will the customer see a drop in price if chargers aren’t included? Of course, what would fix this problem, is a universal charger that works with all mobiles. Some years ago, the main mobile manufacturers agreed that this would be a good solution, but of course, this hasn’t happened with Apple, but has pretty much happened with all Android phones. Will we see trains and cafes offering USB slots to charge your phones in the coming years?
Watch this space as everything gets greener or, more likely, the price of chargers suddenly leaps up when we all realise how much we need them.
I must have a drawer full of USB cables from inches to 6 feet long, together with chargers, travel adapters and other bits and pieces and and I still managed to forget to take USB cables with me on holiday last year.
Quick trip to MicroMart and sorted. As USB is an international standard, will we start seeing hotels (as well as trains) start offering power points? Hope so.
Really? Its just another way to make extra money.
Will the handset drop in £10-£20 in price if it didn’t include the charger? I doubt it. If Im paying for a hand set, I expect a means to charge it included.
What next? Selling mp3 players without headphones?
“Environmental argument”? What complete balls.
@What – where the hell are you buying chargers from that they’re costing you £20?!? They can be had for a couple of quid tops.
Presumeably all mobile manufactiurers will be forced to use micro USB rather than their own propriatory charger connections as well then.
@What?
Ipods and Iphones should be sold without headphones anyway! The ones they’re packaged with are a load of shoite and if I ever have the discomfort of travelling on public transport you can guarantee it’s some cunt with white headphones who is sharing the latest chart trash in a tinny over-trebled way with the rest of us.
New kindles already ship with now power adaptor, just the USB cable …
The plug was made available to buy at “cost price “, I suspect O2 was still more expensive than the charger was available for elsewhere.
I just wanted to point out that there not all USB chargers or PCs deliver the same power output. I’d rather have a beefy charger included with my phone that will charge it in an hour than use my PC which could take 4 times as long. As we move to more power-hungry devices it may well be that your weakling charger cannot power your phone and charge it at the same time.
@JonB
Very true. The powered USB port on my PC appears to drain my Kindle rather than charge it.
And I have no idea why, but if I use my phone with anything but the bundled USB charger, the touchscreen goes crazy. So maybe the standard isn’t so standard after all.
O2 UK wants mobile industry to stop bundling chargers with their devices – Android Authority | www.linn.mobi
Micro USB charging (the port) is the worst designed crap ever. The micro USB port breaks far too easily. Breaks under general normal usage. AND the stupid manufacturers of handsets have morons that have designed the port so its soldered directly on to the mainboard. (Have thhey not learned anything from laptop mainboard design?) Only a few Samsungs have the micro USB port on a seperate replaced daughter board. Regardless this port gets damaged after general use. When will these manufacturers use logic/ common sense. COMMON SENSE IS NOT SO COMMON.
@somuchcrapimsickofit
And the say the art of good writing was dead..