Mini USB to Micro USB adapter solves BlackBerry charger incompatibility issues – $1.94
Posted on 22 February 2009, at 5:21 pm, by Wayne Schulz
You can explain all you want about how Research in Motion had to switch from Mini USB to Micro USB (comparison photo here) to save space on their new BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry 8220 and BlackBerry Curve 8900. I’m not buying it. Deep down I think it’s all about selling profit-heavy doo-dads and gizmos (read accessories) at the point of purchase. Next time you’re unlucky enough to be in that vast wasteland called a cell phone store (I recommend everyone buy online and avoid the horrible retail experience) look at what the carrier’s think you should pay for a charger. Yesterday at T-Mobile they were selling charger kits for about $30 that “fit” my new BlackBerry 8900. Well, I already have enough Mini-USB chargers – thank you. What I really need is this converter for $1.94 that takes the old style Mini-USB adapter and converts it for use in the new BlackBerry models (Storm and 8900 and 8220) that make use of Micro-USB.
Mini USB to Micro USB Adapter – $1.94
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February 23rd, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Requirement for charge driver needs to be removed
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Thanks for posting this. I am an iphone user so it doesn't concern me, but we should all be privvy to the games played with accessories and fight them. I miss when accessories were a little bit more in store, but not so high that I couldn't justify the convenience of buying at a B&M. I had a similar issue this weekend where I had to go around to find a micro-sd adapter because all my readers are for SD sized cards, and my only adapters are mini to full SD.. no Micro. Luckily I was able to get a 10$ adapter at radioshack.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I suspect RIM's choice was less about space and more about the growing consensus on micro-USB. 17 Mobile companies (including: 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, mobilkom austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile, and Vodafone) have settled on micro-USB as their "Universal Charging Solution". They all plan on switching by 2012. (see http://www.gearlog.com/2009/02/17_mobile_companie... I suspect that they thought it best to make the transition sooner rather than later.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:26 am
Yeah I think the move to microUSB is a good one, a fair wack of phones are coming with it now, would be great for all of them to use it.
April 17th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Micro USB is designed so that the connector in the (relatively cheap) cable wears out, rather than the socket in the expensive phone. This is because the spring contacts are in the connector rather than the socket (as they are in Mini USB.
IMHO this is a really good idea. Micro USB also looks set to have much wider adoption when it comes to phones than Mini USB ever had. Whether it takes off in other applications (e.g. digital cameras, portable hard drives) remains to be seen.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Wayne & David, you do realise that MiniUSB has been depreciated by the USB-IF right? Perhaps the USB-IF is playing these accessory games, more likely however they recognised that mini USB is somewhat flawed and unsuitable for a number of devices (too thick, poorly designed connectors) so rather than having 3 different sizes or saying tough luck, they made a new standard and killed the old one. Annoying for those with devices with mini USB? Yes. But what was the alternative? Perhaps they should have designed something like micro USB in the first place, but I’m guessing at the time mini USB seemed fine.
And given the biquity of microUSB and the fact it’s a clearly defined open standard, it’s rather easy for anyone to make accessories. And since the miniUSB to microUSB issue is likely common, you could (and probably should) easily get a generic adapter rather then putting up with rather crap Palm tries to offload on you.
As posters have indicated, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform group endorsed microUSB and many new phones from many manufacturers are including it for data and charging eliminating the silly and annoying games that have been played for a long while with each brand having one or more charging plugs requiring multiple chargers for multiple phones. And the same with data cables which many phones don’t even come with anyway requiring expensive accessories all the time.
BTW given that mini USB has been depreciated, it seems likely to me most devices will either use micro USB or normal USB in the future. (I know of at least one mouse that does).
The situation with microSD and miniSD is similar in some ways although mini was never depreciated but it also never really had a chance to took off so it’s only a few poor sods who have miniSD.