Cell Industry Backs USB for Charging, 3.5mm Jack for Audio
The U.S. cell industry trade group CTIA says it officially supports standardizing charging/sync and audio ports on handsets. Handset makers are now urged to use the micro-A or micro-AB USB formats (AB accepts either micro-A or micro-B plugs) for data transfer and charging, and the 3.5mm audio jack for headsets, earbuds, and microphones. This supplements a July 2009 pledge for uniform USB jacks by the GSMA, a trade group representing the majority of carriers worldwide and a host of major handset makers.