11 Apr BrightLec Asks, where are all the Smart Chargers at?
You would be hard pushed to find any consumer electronics device nowadays which runs on AA or even AAA batteries. Now, MP3 players, handheld gaming consoles and of course our smartphones all feature rechargeable batteries which are not only more convenient for the end user, but also better for the environment too.
The rechargeable batteries within consumer electronics devices are becoming more and more advanced as years go on, with key advancements being made including faster recharging, a high number of possible recharge cycles and also, in cases, rechargeable batteries can be recycled. Whilst these batteries are becoming better in our devices, though, at the wall things are still a little bit old fashioned.
The process to charge a device is simple, you plug a compatible wall socket plug in to a wall socket and connect your device. It’s a fool proof system that even a child can master (note: children and wall sockets do not mix), and it still remains the number one way to charge a device despite the recent push for wireless charging mats.
Perhaps the best innovation to be made in wall chargers is the smart charger. ‘Smart’ is a little bit of a loose term with this form of charger, however it does live up to its name in one key way. Unlike conventional wall chargers, a smart charger will sense when a rechargeable battery is full and turn itself off, thus conserving electricity and ultimately saving you money on your energy bills.
There are a range of third party so called smart chargers on the market that can be picked up for very little money, yet despite their obvious benefits and advantages over their traditional counterparts, a lot of electronics manufacturers still do not include them with devices out of the box. We think that this is a crying shame, and also a slight contradiction on many manufacturers pledges to become greener, or at least reduce their carbon footprint in the long term.
You only have to look back as far as 2010 to see media buzz surrounding smart chargers. It was AT&T in the US who released the ‘Zero Charger’ to much praise within the technology industry. Today, the CTEK 3300 is widely regarded as one of the best smart chargers money can buy.
So let’s recap on the benefits of a smart charger: they are more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts, they will not overcharge or suck the life out of electronics, they have a relatively small manufacturing cost versus their traditional counterparts, they are the latest innovation in charging at the wall.
So where are all the smart chargers at? Why are manufacturers of handheld electronics and especially smartphones still shipping products with old technology? Be sure to let us know your thoughts by commenting below, or through Facebook and Twitter.
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