Radoslaw Orszewski

Micro-USB or mini-USB? Whatever? European Union or European Mess? 3 Jul 2009

A few days ago most of leading mobile phone manufacturers agreed to start from year 2010 delivering all their products (I think at least for the EU market) with one common charging socket type. Great idea! Imagine that soon you will no longer need to ask your friends if they have Company X or Y phone and a charger. Of course it would be a reality after next few years, when most of users will switch to new phones, but idea still stays cool. Moreover it may lead to situation when not only one company, will sell one of its products without a charger – cheaper, lighter and most important more environment friendly. Less waste, less problems.

What is also interesting some of currently offered phones, already support newly chosen standard. It’s even cooler because it USB-based, so you can use not only a typical charger, but your PC (or Mac for political correctness :) as well. Now it’s the right time to name our new friend – it’s micro-USB!

Micro! Micro! And micro one more time! Or 10-6 for all Engineers! Not Mini! I have found it really arrogant and unprofessional that most of press sources were talking about mini-USB, instead of micro-USB as the chosen standard.

I was not really surprised seeing that most popular web and paper magazines didn’t see the difference (wyborcza.pl, onet.pl). but more disappointing was hearing the same from modern technology and IT sources (Dziennik Internautow). I looked at the comments and apparently some of the readers were aware of the mistake. Most curious anyway has been my finding at the official European Union press page. Check the same text in English and Polish and try to find the difference!

You may say what is the difference? Well, if all the information from world epidemics to European law changes is given with the same accuracy..

FYI. It’s micro-USB.