Leading mobile phone manufacturers announced on Tuesday they had agreed to produce a standardised charger for the industry in a move set to save money for consumers and reduce waste.

Currently, each mobile phone maker has its own charger design, sometimes using several across different models, which increases replacement costs for users and leads to unwanted cables when a consumer swaps brands.

In a small move set to make this aspect of modern life easier, industry body the GSM Association said on Tuesday that leading manufacturers had agreed to link up to resolve the problem.