A new initiative led by the Group Special Mobile Association (GSMA) to adopt a micro-USB charging standard to all cell phones has been endorsed by 17 major mobile companies and will be implemented by January 1, 2012. Not only would this save you the pain of going through a painful replacement process should you misplace your precious unique charger, but also reduce heft by combining both USB cable with the power charger, a feature that’s curiously absent from many phones.

The 17 companies include Nokia, LG, and AT&T, but not Apple. This likely has to do with Apple’s MagSafe patent, which is currently utilized on MacBook laptops and will probably show up on future iPhone revisions, but besides convenience, the initiative has several other ramifications - it will reduce production strain, reduce waste from old chargers, and reduce costs for the phone. Knowing Apple, it’s just a matter of time.

More: article from Wired