

One mobile phone charger fits all: IEC publishes global standard - ggordan
http://www.iec.ch/newslog/2011/nr0311.htm

======
nika
People tend to focus on the plug formfactor, and I am sure it will be
convenient for every charger plug to fit.

But such standards inherently limit what you can do. By defining a charger you
are also defining a voltage and current capacity of that charger. This means
that you can't build bigger batteries or charge them faster than the lowest
common denominator charger.

Apple, for instance, does this already. The iPad pulls 10W out of a USB port.
This is more than the USB spec allows but apple built a special charger to
support the iPad. (and has had higher power ports on their computers for
awhile.)

The lowest common denominator is what USB was built around which is why it is
anemic with power, unlike, say, firewire which provides enough power to drive
two or three external 2.5" hard drives (often you can barely drive one from a
typical USB port.)

Now the next iPad will have to be limited so that whatever lowest common
denominator feature phone charger can charge it?

