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Freecharge Windup Mobile Phone Power Source

Posted by timothy on from the on-the-go dept.

Harry Morgan writes: "The UK's Guardian newspaper has an interesting article in it's Online Supplement concerning Freeplay's handheld, windup mobile phone power supply the Freecharge. Although larger and heavier than several spare batteries, it has two distinct advantages over the former, you don't have to turn the phone off to connect it and it will never go flat a long as your arms work!"

2 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Limited market by Qwerpafw · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have always looked at windup-power sources as having a very limited market.

    The thing is, batteries are just fine for most people. The only situations where batteries are not good enough would be :

    a) when its in storage for such a long time, the battery might die (and this really almost doesn't apply to most modern batteries)
    b) when you need so many batterys worth of charge, and its just not feasible to buy more (like hiking, being on a boat, etc)
    c) when you absolutely need reliability, and if you use a battery, it could die, and then you would be fscked for some reason or another (again, like camping...)

    So it seems to me the only people who would want this sort of thing are people using it in very remote areas, or disaster survivalists.

    And here's the problem with those markets. Cell phones are inherently based on having a lot of neaarby infrastructure. You need an operating phone network, an operating nearby tower, and so on and so forth. And when you are in a remote are, those things often just aren't going to be available. The same applies to a nuclear holocaust sort of situation.

    See, the success of the freeplay radios and flashlights has been basically because, though they are bulkier and less convinient, they allow for a great deal of freedom. You don't need to have batteries, you don't need infrastructure around you, etc.

    And cell phones definately are not "free" in any sense of the word. chances are, anywhere where a cell phone would work, you can find a place to rechange your batteries. So this is an almost paradoxical product. I have a fair degree of difficulty in thinking up any situation where this would be useful. and finally, unlike the flashlight (which, by the way, I own), you would not be able to stop whatever you are doing, recharge, and start again, due to the nature of cell phone calls.

    So, aside from the "coolness" factor (which is pretty nifty ;), I can't really see a market for this.

  2. Eh. by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 3, Insightful

    At first, I thought this would be a great idea for an emergency cell phone. Leave it in your car, and if you break down or get in an accident, just a little winding and you can call for help. No worries about batteries dying.

    Then I realized that if you got in an accident, you might not be ABLE to wind the thing. A phone meant for real emergencies would need to be operable without having to wind it up first.

    I'd recommend using one of those battery packs that takes AA cells, then filling it with Eveready's Energizer Lithium AAs. Not only would they give a long talk time, they also have an incredible shelf life. Ideal for emergency use.