O2 and HTC have set out on a mission to be pioneers in an effort to “eliminate chargers sold with every new phone in the UK.” The announcement was made today by Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2, who believes that they can boost the company’s commitment to going green by de-coupling charging from handset since 70 percent of all consumers already have a “relevant charger” which was most likely purchased with a previous phone. O2 estimates that there are over 100 million unused chargers in the UK alone. By taking the charger out of the equation, O2 expects to reduce the packaging footprint of new phones and hopes to also save costs associated with shipping the devices across the globe.
An unnamed HTC device will be the first to ship without a charger. The HTC device will include a USB to Micro-USB cable, but consumers will need to purchase the charging adapter separately if they do not have a spare one lying around the house.
[quote]I have a simple vision for O2: we want to take chargers out of boxes full stop. Right now, O2 with HTC has to go it alone on this matter – we both believe in it passionately enough that we can’t wait for the industry as a whole to join us in this crusade. That said, we hope that we will be able to pave the way for others to follow us as this has to be a collective effort if we are to achieve the bigger aim of eliminating chargers sold with every new phone in the UK.[/quote]Do you think O2 and HTC are making the right move? How many extra charging cables to you have tucked away in your office drawer?
Source: Pocket-Lint
Wow. That sounds like a horrible idea. “Going green” Is now the new catch phrase for skimping on your offering to save you money.
I’m torn on this. I do agree that most people buying smartphones probably have a few chargers they could use, but consumers shouldn’t need to have to buy an extra charger if they don’t already own one. It creates a new barrier to entry for people who don’t own smartphones.
I’m all for it if the savings are actually passed on to customers. If the difference in price between buying a phone with a charger included and not included is equal to (or greater) than the price of a charging adapter, then this is a great idea. If you feel you need an (or another) adapter when you buy the phone, then you could just get one included in a bundle along with the phone.
I doubt that’s how it going to go down, though. Retailers are probably going to charge just as much for devices, whether or not they themselves are saving money on them. Whether it’s OEMs or retailers taking the extra profits, I see this plan is probably just ending up putting more of customer’s money in the pockets of big businesses.
But also saving the planet.