When will mobile phones get their equivalent of USB? These days, I can pick up a USB peripheral anywhere and I’m pretty much confident that it will work for my PC. It doesn’t matter what that USB device is – whether it’s a printer, scanner, mouse/keyboard, wireless adaptor.

In contrast, when you buy a wired hands-free headset for your phone, it’s almost certain not to work for other phones. In some cases, it won’t even work with other phones of the same brand! Motorola is really bad at this – I have used 5 Motorola phones over the past 8 years, and each one has a different headset and power connector. I would love to buy a stereo headset for my Treo and have it work out of the box with my wife’s Nokia.

The state of accessories and peripherals for the mobile phone remind me of PCs in the 1980s, when each manufacturer had its proprietary connectors. Proprietary peripherals may be a way to lock customers in to one brand. However, it doesn’t really work in this day and age, when OEM manufacturers in China can knock out a compatible accessory within weeks of a new phone introduction. It’s time for mobile phone manufacturers to get their act together and come up with a standard.

What would be the advantages of a standard power and accessory connector for mobile phones?
- a greater choice of peripherals. Whether it’s a standard headset or a full-blown device with stereo headphones and a remote, OEM and accessory manufacturers can concentrate on better features rather than worrying about connectors
- less waste. If Motorola or Siemens keep coming up with new connectors, then accessories that are out in the market quickly become obsolete. What are retailers going to do with unsold inventory of phone accessories that are only a few years old>
- overall lower cost. With less emphasis on incompatible connectors, all manufacturers enjoy a greater economy of scale

We know that mobile phone manufacturers can do this today. Witness the proliferation of Bluetooth wireless headsets. Every generation of wireless headsets get smaller, more power efficient and come with more features. Isn’t it time for the rest of the peripherals to follow suit?

,
,

Filed under: Mobile World

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!