Gilda OrruYou can say what you like about the iPhone. Yes it has revolutionised the way smartphones are used. Yes, most of us probably can’t live without ours. And yes, there is a reason people queue up around the block to get their hands on the newest model. But they don’t have drain battery.
With a battery life as long as Freddie Flintoff’s boxing career, Apple’s mobile devices are notoriously bad when it comes to power, and long spells of gaming, calling, and Tindering can send your device from 50% to dead in a matter of half an hour.
Reversing that is a new gadget from StoreDot, an Israeli company who have developed a charger which will charge a mobile from dead to full in just 30 seconds.
Of course it’s not exclusive to the iPhone; it will solve the problem of losing battery universally, and is expected to go on sale in 2016.
That’s just over a year until we are saved. Saved from the inconvenience of running out of battery.
For the thousands of people that use their device as a sat-nav, that means no longer will you find yourself getting stuck in the middle of the Pennines on a cold, dark, damp night, miles from anywhere with no clue as to where you are, and where to turn.
For the millions of gamers that enjoy a hand in the online casinos: no longer will you miss out on winning a huge pot on Full Tilt with the pair of aces you’re holding, only for your screen to go caput. Which will prove to be a massive deal.
We are using our mobiles more and more for gaming, and it will likely transform that industry as we will be able to play games for much, much longer spells at a time. And that doesn’t just apply to casino games, but to some of the biggest titles in app stores too. For example, the likes of Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is graphically just as superb as it is on a console and just as addictive, with the charger enabling us to spend hours on the game, just as we would do on a PlayStation 4.
It’s certainly a problem solver, whether that be organising your life or playing the increasingly popular phenomenon of mobile gaming, which is expected to push over $100 billion by the time we reach 2017.
Zack Weisfeld, a mobile phone analyst said of the product, “We live in a power hungry world…people are constantly chasing a power outlet. StoreDot has the potential to solve this real big problem.”
The device, which is in its prototype stage, revolves around the building of ‘nanodots’ which allow quick power absorption as well as retaining life much more efficiently.
However, the innovative technology is expected to add up to £95 on to the cost of a mobile phone, which could put consumers off purchasing the new high-speed charger. Although when over one in five people across the globe owns a smartphone, it won’t make too much of a dent in sales figures.
Hoping to release a slimmer version in just over a year’s time, the company has raised $48 million so far, including the backing of $10 million from Chelsea FC owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
There’s no doubt it’s a major breakthrough for mobile technology. We’ve already seen the Upp device which packs a week’s worth of power to help keep our devices charged on the road, although the convenience of almost instantly charging your mobile takes this up to a completely new level.