Cell phones and related devices like laptops and iPads use a battery to run. The battery is the life of the device without it, they are useless. There are several types of battery chargers that have use in different situations. There are standard plugin chargers, fast, solar powered, car and hand cranked among others. This article reviews some of the types of cell phone chargers available and the good and bad aspects of them.
Standard Plugin Electric
These are the standard chargers. Most cell phones and laptops come with this type of charger. They are very hardy and charge fairly quickly. The more portable the device the more chances the charger will get lost. As a result, chargers are one of the most popular of all consumer products because they are lost often especially cell phone chargers. This type of charger works simply by connecting the charger to an electric source and the device ie. cell phone or laptop to the charger. Some chargers have several ports for charging several phones and/or laptops.
Car
A car charger is a phone charger that charges from the battery of a car. These types of chargers use a specialized plug that hooks into the cigarette lighter socket of the car. This can allow a phone to be charged while on the move, which makes it a great option for travelers. Traveling salesmen can benefit from this especially those who do presentations on the road. Charging your battery can ensure it will be available for PowerPoint presentations, video conferencing or other types of work on your phone that require a lot of energy. You can also use it if you are planning to record favorite scenes from a sporting event as well. In some cases, a back up battery is a great idea all together. A car charger is great backup if a wall charger fails or is lost.
Wireless
Wireless chargers are very interesting. They use inductive charging to charge everything from cars to phones. There is a charging station. The station will create the electromagnetic field the device will convert back to electric current and charge the battery. This is a very clean way to charge with less wear and tear on the parts of the phone. One drawback is it takes longer to charge than the direct plugin the wall type charger.
Fast or Rapid
A rapid or fast charger can give a dying battery much needed power in half the time of a regular charger, but may come with a risk. These chargers can charge much faster than a standard wall or travel charger. This is only if the phone will allow the fast charger to operate at full speed. Not all phones have the capacity to receive the amount of charge that fast chargers are capable of putting out. It is important to check your phone charger for the amps output. Also late model phone chargers have fairly fast charging times and a fast charger might not be necessary. Fast chargers get very hot. Though many incorporate a small fan for cooling purposes, cheaply made fast phone chargers can damage the battery if left plugged in for too long. Using fast chargers can reduce the overall battery life and make the battery unable to charge to full power.
Solar Powered
Some unusual phone chargers are available on the market for those who enjoy gadgetry or are looking to reduce waste. Solar phone chargers use small solar panels to capture the energy in sunlight and use it to restore the battery. These can be a very good choice for people on camping or hiking trips who will be away from standard power sources. A similar alternative is a hand-cranked charger, which uses manual power to provide a charge. These phone chargers may take serious arm work to provide a decent amount of charge, but have the benefit of not needing sunlight to charge in remote locations.
Hand Cranked
Hand cranked chargers are a great to have for several situations. For camping or outdoor trips, there is no telling if weather will be suitable for charging a battery with a solar charger. And you don’t know when your battery will need to be charged up again. It could be in the night. Another great reason for a hand cranked charger is you might be in the middle of a storm and not have any electricity to power or charge any device. In this case, a hand held is one of the best options for spare charger power. It might be laborious to crank power to your phone but you will be able to use it.
Conclusion
There are several types of chargers to choose from. All the chargers will be more or less beneficial depending on the user. A TV cameraman who is on the road often will benefit from a car type charger or a traveling salesman. A student may need the standard plugin charger. Those whose work involve being outdoors like a guide might benefit from solar type chargers. Chargers that use a hand crank are good backup for emergencies especially if no land line is available. The choice of charger is as individual as the lifestyles the user has.