Mobile phone battery life is one of life’s biggest “First World Problems” and having extra power to plug into while you’re out and about is a problem that thousands of portable battery packs have been solving for years now. What do you do when that portable battery pack is running low on charge though? How about Solar.
I’ve tried a few Solar chargers before and while they certainly work, you’re better of watching grass grow. The speed at which a solar charger is able to pump power into your phone or other portable device will send you quickly into old age.
Enter a nifty solution called the Solio Bolt. This is a solar charger with a difference. Built into the device itself is actual battery power. So when the Solio Bolt is out in the sun it’s not charging your phone, it’s charging its own battery.
The Solio Bolt has two USB connections, one for charge coming in, the other for charge going out.
So when at home or hotel you can plug it into the wall and in 4-5 hours the battery is fully charged ready for 1-2 recharges of your smartphone.
When you’re out and about – on a good sunny day with the Solio Bolt pointed in the right direction you can recharge the battery in around 8 hours. For the average user in average conditions you will need to allow more, even double – however that hidden beauty of having a battery on board comes into play when you can throw the Solio Bolt up on the dashboard of the car when it’s parked for hours on end and all the while you’re charging it up.
A good evolution of the Solar charger concept and certainly recommended if you’re out and about a lot and suffer from the dreaded 1% battery problem.
Price: $129.95
Web: Solio
Trev is a Technology Commentator, Dad, Speaker and Rev Head.
He produces and hosts several popular podcasts, EFTM, Two Blokes Talking Tech, Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars, The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, and the Private Feed. He is the resident tech expert for Triple M on radio across Australia, and is the resident Tech Expert on Channel 9’s Today Show and appears regularly on 9 News, A Current Affair and Sky News Early Edition.
Father of three, he is often found in his Man Cave.
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