In my house, new technology just appears. Almost like magic, and often before anyone else has even heard of new gadgets, they appear in my house. That’s what life is like living with a techy. But every once in a while, I “discover” something on my own. The Duracell Instant Power Charger is my newest discovery, and if you have an Android, iPhone or something similar you NEED this gadget.
One of the few downsides to the newest generation of smart phones with touch screens and oddles of apps is that they drain power like crazy! I was a BlackBerry user for eight years, and I could literally go DAYS without charging my phone (as long as I wasn’t too chatty). That was a great feature for me since I am VERY prone to forgetting to plug my phone in at night. It’s kind of my thing…But now that I have gone Android, I’m not going back (sorry BlackBerry).
Enter my new friend the Duracell Instant Power Charger.
Sure, I have a car charger… but I tend to not realize my battery is dead until I am out with no access to my car charger. Of course.
I put my new toy to the test for the first time on my Brandcation trip. I knew I would be on my phone a lot tweeting and Facebooking, and I didn’t want to be without access. As predicted, I drained my phone battery everyday of my trip. When my battery warning came on, my Duracell Instant Power Charger came out. Worked like a charm.
Because the charger is portable, and small, you can continue to use your phone while charging your phone. Sure I looked a little goofy with the charger in my pocket with a cable leading to the phone while I texted away, but who cares I had power on the go!
Here’s the scoop – You do have to do a little thinking in advance. 🙂 You plug the charger into your computer via a USB drive and the charger is charged by your computer. Once the charger is ready, you pack the charger and cord in your purse and go. When you need a boost, just reverse the plugs (USB into the charger, mini USB into phone), turn the charger on and ta-da instant power.
Note for Android users, it is a little more complicated for Androids and other phones that have a micro USB on the phone (mini and micro are different I learned). I have to use 2 cables, one to charge the charger and one to charge the phone. I wish they made a little adapter, but it’s not really a big deal. You just have to keep your cords straight. I am able to use the cable from my wall charger, so I just do a swap before I go.
Here are some product details:
- Adds up to 35 hours of run time to iPods/MP3 players, 5 hours of talk time to cell phones and up to 4 hours of talk time to iPhones/smart phones/PDAs
- The Instant Power Charger can be charged up to 600 times using a laptop or any other USB power source and can recharge your USB-compatible device up to three times on a single charge.
- Includes a USB to mini-USB charging cable compatible with most Motorola and Blackberry phones and works with all USB cables (like the ones included with the iPod or iPhone).
I’m not able to confirm if I got an additional four hours of use because it was always the end of the day and I never needed that much juice, but I can tell you it gave me everything I needed.
Amazon currently offers the Duracell Instant Power Charger for less than $20, a great price for a stocking stuffer or small gift for every smart phone user on your list.
Find this gift idea and many more in my Holiday Gift Guide Nov 1 – Dec 31.