Recently, smartphones have started adopting similar ports across different manufacturers. Examples of these ports are MicroUSB and 3.5MM headphone jacks. MicroUSB ports are used for powering the devices as well as being a gateway for data transfer while 3.5MM jacks are used for outputting audio to devices such as earphones and stereos.

Perceived benefits to consumers

There are several benefits of using common connectors across different mobile phones for consumers. First of all interoperability between accessories increases such as chargers, data cables and headphones from one manufacturer can be used with other mobile phones which increases consumer satisfaction and reduces their expenditure on accessories.

Along with that traveling consumers with multiple phones are able to reduce the bulk of their transport carrying cases by halving the number of accessories that they have to take with them. Along with that a standardized smartphone charger may come in handy as it may not be difficult to find a charger for your smartphone while on the go.

Environmental aspect of chargers

Smartphone manufacturers have said that standardized smart phone charges help a lot in reducing e-waste of discarded chargers and although they may be somewhat correct, standardized chargers do not lower total production of smartphone chargers significantly. A reason for this is that even if a phone uses a standard charger, it will still need to include another charger in the retail box.

A reason for this is that not every consumer has got a similar charger in his/her home and not including a charger would cause discomfort to users as they would need to pay extra for something that is usually included in the retail box. And as customized mobile phone retail boxes are currently not viable for production, companies would still need to include chargers in every mobile phone that they sell.

Compatibility of earphones

Smartphones today chiefly use 3.5mm audio jacks which have always been popular on other electronic devices such as computers and MP3 players. The advent of these jacks has made it possible for consumers to use their own headphones with their smartphones instead of being restricted to the company’s proprietary phones, which several users may not prefer for a variety of reasons.

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