Nearly two billion new mobile phones are sold worldwide every year, and most of them are bought to replace obsolete models. If the old phone chargers are not compatible with the new devices, then they are thrown away too, even if still operational. With more than a billion devices becoming e‐waste each year and a huge quantity of potentially unnecessary new chargers being produced, the environmental implications are enormous. This article looks at the outcome of a study on mechanical, electrical and life-cycle assessment characteristics of a wide range of mobile-phone chargers and highlights similarities, differences and improvement opportunities. A sample of more than 50 chargers from official brands and compatible part suppliers was used in the study. The chargers were selected to represent the most recent and widespread models on offer from mobile-phone brands, plus some older models to gauge historical trends.