O2 Energy Efficient Universal Charger - green and good

Sometimes it's the little things that matter. I don't know what your office is like, but I'm sure your internal email buzzes with the same topics as everyone else's: flats to rent and money-off vouchers are common topics, but there's one email that seems more prevalent than any others. It's this: 'This is Jenny Phipps in Accounts. My phone's run out of juice. Does anyone have a phone charger I can borrow that will fit my Nokia E71? It's the new version, not the old one.'

O2's new universal adaptor aims to solve this, and cheaply, too. It's a simple three-pin plug with a selection of interchangeable cables which fit Sony Ericsson and Samsung phones along with Nokia (the new version, not the old one, Jenny). More cables are on their way for BlackBerry and iPhone connections in early 2009.

Even more handily, the charger doesn't squander your electricity. I'm rarely convinced by technology that claims green credentials but this is among the least worst.


The O2 Universal Adaptor is already available for UK customers for ￡14.99 (US$22.10) with the additional connector leads costing ￡4.99 (US$7.30).


O2 could be on to a real winner with the charger for several reasons. The first is clearly the energy savings it offers customers coupled with the fact it works with most phones. This means you only need take one charger with you for multiple phones, or can buy one of these for at home and leave your standard chargers for use at work.

Where I see the real opportunity is if O2 approach the phone manufacturers and ask them to start supplying their phones without charges at a reduced price. Then O2 can bundle their charger with the phone instead. The mobile phone manufacturers will save money due to not needing to include a charger, have a small box, and less weight to ship. O2 will make their money by keeping the prices of their phones the same, even though they pay less for them from the manufacturer, to cover the cost of the charger. The company will also be seen to be environmentally friendly for supplying only green chargers to customers.

Whether O2 plan to do this, or if the phone manufacturers would be interested in such an offer, is yet to be seen, but hopefully they will. It also begs the question why aren’t all chargers like the O2 one anyway?