We can stop dropping our jaws at waterproof smartphones soon as something even better than that, which still involves water, is coming. And it's a smartphone that can be charged with water.
Well, not exactly a handset that can top up battery juice with H20 - rather, it's a charger that allows smartphones to do just that.
"Swedish startup MyFC unveiled its cool technology, dubbed JAQ, at CES on Jan. 6," Mashable reported.
"The device, which is small enough to slip into your back pocket, is a fuel cell charger," the tech news source explained. "It uses saltwater and oxygen to convert chemical energy into electricity. Then it uses that electricity to charge your phone's battery."
"JAQ provided an alternative to plugging a charger into a socket by creating a sealed credit-card shaped device containing salt and water," Tech Times noted. "Once the card is inserted into the charger, its ten hydrogen fuel cells can convert the energy produced from the chemical reaction into 1,800 milliampere-hours (mAh) of charging power."
To use the device, you just insert your phone into the sleeve-like opening and plug the gadget into an outlet.
JAQ can charge an iPhone 6S almost to full capacity. Tablets, however, will take more than one card to get their batteries fully primed for action.
It's also worth noting that the power cards are only good for a single use. That's because these are no longer potent enough to create the chemical reactions needed to produce electricity. However, they are recyclable.
"Travelers can easily keep 10 to 20 power cards with them to last the whole trip as each one weighs only 40 grams each while the charger weighs a mere 180 grams," Tech Times said.
Considering the charger needs a fresh card for every charge, myFC is looking to strike a deal with partners so that it can give chargers for free through carriers, as well as make the power cards part of phone plans.
Right now, the company has not announced prices for the product, and has not begun selling it just yet. However, MyFC plans to ship out the chargers later this year.
"When it does go up for sale, MyFC hopes to implement a subscription service," Live Science said. "Customers would sign up to receive a certain number of power cards every month. Individual cards would also be available for purchase and will likely cost about $1.50 each."
What do you think of this new innovation? Would you consider charging your own smartphone with this kind of charger?
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