Mobile Phone Batteries: Their Evolution and Limitations.
In an era where technological innovations seem to know no bounds, one persistent challenge continues to vex smartphone users worldwide: the limitations of mobile phone batteries. Despite the leaps and bounds made in smartphone capabilities, the evolution of battery technology has been, and continues to be, a slower, more incremental journey. In this blog, we’ll explore the advancements and limitations of mobile phone batteries, their technology, and give you some tips on how to prolong battery life that help to liberate us from the tyranny of carrying chargers and charging cables.
The Evolution of Mobile Phone Batteries:
Mobile phone batteries have come a long way since the early days of bulky devices with limited endurance. The introduction of Lithium-ion batteries in the 1990s revolutionised the industry, offering higher energy density and longer-lasting power. However, while smartphones have evolved into sleek, multifunctional devices, battery technology still needs to catch up!
Advancements and Limitations:
While some smartphones boast impressive battery life, such as the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and Google Pixel 8 Pro, the reality is that most devices still require daily charging. Despite incremental improvements in battery longevity and efficiency, the fundamental limitations of Lithium-ion technology persist.
Why Batteries Lag Behind:
The disparity between smartphone advancements and battery capabilities can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the demand for slimmer, lighter devices conflicts with the need for larger, more powerful batteries. Consumers prioritise sleek designs over extended battery life, leading manufacturers to prioritise form factor over function.
Additionally, the pace of battery technology development is inherently slower than that of other smartphone components. While processors, cameras, and displays undergo rapid advancements, battery technology faces inherent challenges such as energy density, safety concerns, and cost-effectiveness.
Mobile phone batteries rely on chemical reactions to store and release energy, making their advancements inherently more challenging compared to the physics-driven developments of other device components. While electronics progress swiftly due to advancements in physics, battery technology faces huge complexities in optimising chemical compositions and reactions, leading to slower progress and incremental improvements over time.
Future Developments:
Technology companies are actively exploring new avenues for battery innovation despite these challenges. Solid-state batteries, which utilise solid electrolytes instead of liquid ones, hold promise for higher energy density, faster charging, and enhanced safety. Companies like Tesla, Samsung, and Toyota are investing heavily in solid-state battery research, aiming to revolutionise energy storage across various industries.
Furthermore, advancements in materials science, such as the integration of lithium metal into battery designs, offer potential breakthroughs in energy density and longevity. Companies like Quantumscape are at the forefront of developing next-generation batteries based on lithium metal technology, paving the way for significant advancements in mobile phone batteries.
Tips for Prolonging Battery Life:
While we await the arrival of next-generation battery technologies, there are steps we can take to maximise the performance and longevity of our current mobile phone batteries:
- Optimise Settings: Adjust the display brightness, and enable power-saving modes to reduce battery consumption. Don’t wait for 20% level before low power mode is offered to go into it if you’re on a long day. There is some loss of features/notifications of course, but usually not much. See here https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205234
- Manage Charging Habits: Avoid frequent deep discharges and opt for partial charging whenever possible to minimise stress on the battery. The sweet spot is between about 20-80% charge. Newer iPhones for example let you set 80% as the maximum battery charge level which is good – unless you’re on a long day in which case turn it off for that day.
- Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Extreme heat or cold exposure can degrade battery health, so keep your phone in moderate environments. When in the car, don’t have it in full sun, or next to vents putting out hot air.
- Use Original Chargers: Stick to genuine certified chargers and cables provided by the manufacturer to ensure compatibility and safe charging.
- Consider Battery Replacements: If your smartphone’s battery performance significantly deteriorates over time, consider replacing the battery to restore optimal performance. Your device should tell you about the battery condition and its capacity. You can expect some deterioration after between 500-1000 charge cycles, with more after that level. 3+ year-old devices may well benefit, though if carefully managed, can give much longer life.
- Fast-charging technologies often incorporate features such as temperature management and voltage regulation to minimise stress on the battery, helping to prolong its lifespan.
Conclusion:
While mobile phone batteries may lag behind the rapid pace of smartphone advancements, ongoing research and development efforts offer hope for a future where battery life ceases to be a daily concern. By embracing emerging technologies and adopting prudent battery management practices, we can free ourselves from the shackles of charging cables and enjoy uninterrupted connectivity on our smartphones. And when you consider that the average person checks their phone 150 times a day (that’s once every 6 minutes!), our hunger for battery juice than never depletes, is only going to increase.
It might not be long before we can see the prototypes for a more powerful, kinetic charging system that harnesses motion or mechanical energy to generate the electricity needed to power a smartphone. Exercising to charge up all round?
Unlocking Personalities: Decoding Your Mobile Phone Charging Habits
Welcome readers! As you know, here at Chargebox we love spending our lives obsessing about the best phone charging experiences so that you don’t have to. Normally we’re buried deep stats about user experience, charging speeds, secure lockers, cable specs, location specifics, hospital, airport, retail, events… Well you get the idea!
We recently came across the article “New study reveals the ten types of mobile phone users”, (by behavioural analyst, Emma Kenny) and liked it so much, it got us thinking.
Are there any obvious traits or quirks that people display in their phone charging behaviour and what these habits might say about them?
So we locked our best and brightest minds in a room with all our phone charging data and insight, collected over many years, and this is what they came up with – five distinct types of mobile phone charging behaviours and personality types.
The Night Charger :
Ah, the night charger – the steadfast souls who plug in their phones before hitting the hay and let them juice up all night long. These individuals believe in starting each day with a fully charged device, even if it means their poor phone spends more time plugged in than they do! To them, a charged phone equals peace of mind, even if it means sacrificing a bit of battery longevity in the process.
The Prepared Packrat (Power Hoarder) :
Meet the prepared packrat, armed to the teeth with battery packs, charging cables, and plugs galore. You’ll never catch these folks with a low battery warning – they’re like modern-day Boy Scouts, always ready for a charging emergency. Whether it’s a trip to the local shop or a trek through the wilderness, they’ve got enough charging firepower to keep their devices going for days on end.
The Rule Follower :
For the rule follower, every percentage point of battery life is precious, and they’re not about to jeopardize it by overcharging. These cautious chargers strictly adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations, never leaving their phones plugged in for a moment longer than necessary. They’re the ones you’ll catch unplugging their phones at precisely 80% battery, following the advice to maximize battery health – even if it means a few extra trips to a charging point throughout the day.
The Forgetful Wanderer :
Ah, the forgetful wanderer – forever chasing elusive power outlets and muttering curses under their breath as their battery dwindles to single digits. These free spirits have a knack for leaving home without a charged phone and are no strangers to the dreaded dead battery scenario. But fear not, for they’ve mastered the art of creative charging solutions, from begging bartenders for access to outlets to scavenging for USB ports in coffee shops.
The Eternal Optimist :
Last but not least, we have the eternal optimist – the dreamers who believe that battery life is but a mere suggestion and that their phones will somehow defy the odds and stay powered indefinitely. You’ll find them gleefully ignoring low battery warnings and living life on the edge, convinced that their device will miraculously hold out until they reach their next charging destination. Ignoring the subtle warnings of impending power depletion, they gallivant through life with boundless optimism, convinced that their device will miraculously power through any charging emergency, somehow! And hey, sometimes they’re right – but when they’re wrong, they’re spectacularly wrong.
Just like fingerprints, each person’s charging style is unique and tells us something about their personality.
So, which charging persona resonates with you? There’s no right or wrong way. Or is there?
Thanks for reading!
#Charging #Phone #Chronicles #Mobile #Psychology
How Sustainable Are Public Phone Charging Solutions?
In pursuit of sustainability, we’ve embarked on a profound journey to determine the environmental footprint of our business operations and the life cycle of our charging solutions. Collaborating with expert third parties, we’ve analysed and dissected the carbon emissions of our entire operation. The result? We have already taken significant strides toward achieving our goal of NetZero emissions by 2030. Contact us for our latest report which shows over a 30% reduction compared with 2019 on a constant revenue basis.
For a long time, we’ve championed the belief that alternative solutions simply can’t match the sustainability performance of ChargeBox. It’s this unwavering conviction that propelled us to dig deeper into the sustainability (or otherwise) of rented power banks.
While the term “sustainability” is scattered across the websites of providers offering such solutions, you’ll also notice a distinct lack of details with more in-depth reading. The mere presence of a “sustainability officer” doesn’t inherently drive meaningful change. So, we’ve decided to pull back the curtain and reveal our research and findings for a comprehensive understanding.
Remember first of all, that power banks have a limited lifecycle. Given the amount of valuable materials in them together with the effort to mine, refine and produce battery packs, we wanted to see what the lifecycle emissions of a power bank solution would be.
We have included references to scientific literature and other sources of data for our calculations and to show full transparency but are happy to share our calculations or even amend them, if better data can be provided.
What we found truly shocked us! Our data and calculations are shown below but first, let’s summarise what we have used as relative comparisons before looking at the results.
Comparing ChargeBox Charging Stations With Power Bank Charging Stations
Our own charging stations with 6 lockers can charge well in excess of 100 devices a day – and frequently do. So, we have compared a large 40-power bank charging solution with our ChargeBox FAST6. Here’s what we included for this analysis as well as what we didn’t include:
- We have included the embedded carbon in the respective machines – a recent model ChargeBox FAST6 6-locker USB Fast charge station and a 40 power bank charging machine (which we have estimated). We have assumed a 5 year operating life for both solutions (most ChargeBox stations go on considerably longer).1
- ChargeBox FAST3 – Overview
- Charge up to three mobile devices simultaneously – capacity to easily charge over 60 devices a day
- Smart Lock key-based security
- USB 3.1 Power delivery Fast Charge – the fastest available charging
- 7″ touchscreen control/guide screen with multilingual assistance
- Wall-fixed or table-mounted
- Real-time monitoring enables usage information, automated remote diagnostics and service monitoring
- Branding options available.
- We have included the emissions from expected electricity consumption during that 5 year lifetime if operated in the UK using our typical emissions per unit of electricity. Here we have assumed similar electricity usage, though power banks introduce an extra level of loss that we have assumed conservatively at 10%.2
- We have not included emissions involved in installation and service activities for both solutions, though these are expected to be similar.
- For the power bank solution, we added in the embedded carbon to produce each Lithium-Ion battery based on a scientific paper with such metrics. We did not include embedded carbon in casing and cables, or for transportation from Asia.3
- We estimated the number of power banks that would be required over the 5 year lifecycle based on expected failure rates as well as losses due to other factors such as customers keeping the devices.4
- We did NOT factor in end-of-life recycling and re-use.5
- We ran our numbers both with an equivalent number of charges provided over 5 years, as well as using a much lower number for the power bank rental solutions which is our expectation of real usage.6
Power Banks Produce 26 Times More Carbon Emissions Than ChargeBox
If a power bank rental solution provides the same number of charges as a ChargeBox over a 5 year cycle, then we calculated the emissions of that solution to be over 33 tonnes of CO2 compared with just 1.2 tonnes for ChargeBox. This is both in total and per charge (since the charges given are equal).
In the case that the power bank solution provides just 1/5 the number of charges of a ChargeBox (which of course means just 1/5 the number of satisfied users), then the power bank CO2 emissions drops to around 8 tonnes – still 6 times more than ChargeBox with just 20% of the service given.
| Usage Scenario | Same Usage | Power Bank 1/5 of ChargeBox Usage |
| ChargeBox emissions (tonnes of CO2) | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Power Bank rental emissions (tonnes of CO2) | 33 | 8 |
| Comparison | ChargeBox emits 26 times less carbon | ChargeBox emits 6 times less carbon but charges 5 times more devices |
| Carbon per charge | Power Banks 26 times more | Power Banks 31 times more |
We also varied our assumptions to see if battery loss/failure rates were much lower than what we believe to be the case. Even here, power banks solutions emit 12 times the emissions per charge given in the scenario of a 1/5th usage (over 3 tonnes total) ; and 7 times for equivalent usage (over 9 tonnes).
We will happily re-work our model if credible alternatives are presented to us for any of our assumptions. Climate calculations are very difficult to do accurately and we would always caution about differences of as much as 50%. But when the differences represent at least an order of magnitude, there is little doubt that such solutions are not comparable on a sustainability basis.
Is 33 tonnes of CO2 emissions a lot?
It’s equivalent to:
- 39 seats on a flight from London to New York
- 6 years of a single person’s carbon emissions across all their activities (average UK person)
Remember also (if you read the footnotes) we have not factored in extra embedded carbon from machine manufacture in China, and freight emissions for both machines and batteries. Both of these would result in additional emissions for power bank solutions but do not apply to UK-manufactured ChargeBox.
Of course, you might argue that both solutions are worse than charging at home. In the case of the power banks, it almost certainly is, but with ChargeBox it would be similar to charging at home. While we are at the mercy of our hosts in terms of how they procure their energy, we encourage all to use 100% renewable – as we do in our own operations.
If you’d like to know more about a sustainable way to keep your visitors, guests, students and patients’ devices charged, drop us a line – we’d love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading!
1 We have used our own embedded carbon as a reasonable estimate of embedded carbon in the power bank charging machine. The reasoning is that it is a similar size metal box, with similar types of electronics, screens and other components. We have NOT allowed for the fact this is produced – most likely – in China which has carbon emissions relating to electricity in production at more than 2x the UK where ChargeBox is manufactured (and even here, our metal fabricator uses extensive solar energy installed on its buildings which was not factored into our calculations). We have also NOT allowed for emissions due to shipment of the units from China to the UK.
2 We have calculated both the base level electricity to keep each machine functioning and the electricity used to charge either the power banks (power bank solution) or devices directly (ChargeBox) during a 5 year lifetime in the UK and then used the UK’s electricity emissions number (which was 181g.CO2/KWh in 2020 and is probably a bit lower now). The electricity for both will be similar per use, though the power banks introduce an additional efficiency loss and we included a figure of 10% in our calculations. The amount of electricity consumed by either solution was not hugely material or different. With the scenario for 20% usage of power banks compared with ChargeBox that would translate into lower electricity emissions – but obviously producing less charged devices.
3 We added in the embedded carbon we calculated is in every power bank based on a scientific paper outlining such a figure for any type of Li-ion battery. This did not include extras such as cases or cables. The paper estimated the embedded energy required to make a battery, and we then used the figure for China’s electricity emissions per kWh as stated here
4 We varied our assumptions on these figures to see the impact, but in every scenario, there was still a significant impact. Our base level estimates were taken from the experience of one of our international partners who also operates a power bank rental solution
5 With ChargeBox we responsibly recycle all metalwork and after re-test, we will re-use some electronic components and wiring. Power bank rental companies may or may not recycle their failed batteries, but for those that are lost or kept by customers, there is likely a significant carbon cost. It is our expectation many of these end up in drawers and eventually landfill.
6 Most ChargeBox usage is free so is at very high levels; most power bank usage is charged for, so usage is lower. We ran numbers for both equal levels of high use, and 20% use for power bank solutions – so just 1/5th the number of devices charged. We used 50 uses/day for ChargeBox – a typical value. We then compared 50 uses/day for the power bank rental as well as the scenario of just 10 uses/day. We have used values from both scenarios and also shown an equivalent number of emissions per charge.
The Apple Lightning cable is Dead, Long Live the Apple Lightning cable!
When Phil Schiller, then SVP at Apple, introduced the Lightning cable in 2012 with the launch of the iPhone 5, he said it was “the cable for the next decade”. Sure enough – and having exceeded that with 11 years under its belt – it has been a reliable cable and we can’t imagine using a non-reversible cable any more (even though the EU wanted to standardise around that stupid micro-USB plug). @ChargeBox we have found it to be the best cable (though not without our modification to the junction of cable and head which extended life from 300+ charges to 4,000+; more on that in a future post).
The actual ending is very reliable – far more so than USB-C which has a tendency to break off. You can occasionally get dirt or corrosion on the pins, but this can usually be cleaned off quickly.
With the introduction of USB-C to all iPhone 15 models, it was portrayed as the death knell for Lightning. Of course, in many ways it is – and over future years, will undoubtedly be. But in one clever move, Apple actually made the Lightning cables you already have MORE useful, not less ($29 purchase required!).
Indeed stay with me here while I explain, slightly tongue in cheek, that the Lightning cable has now become the only true Universal cable! There’s even something for Android users too.
If you’re like me, you’ll have quite a few Lightning cables around the house and office – for charging phones, AirPods, older iPads, and even pencils and keyboards. I’ve got quite a few USB-C to Lightning as well as some older USB-A to Lightning.
With the release this week of the simple USB-C to Lightning dongle adapter you can now plug in a Lightning cable into a USB-C device. Ostensibly to protect investment in things such as music systems, car adapters etc, this little gem also has the added advantage of allowing you to use Lightning cables to charge not just iPhone 15 models, but also iPad Pros, and, wait for it, ANY recent MacBooks – Air and Pro varieties! (Hang on non-Apple users!)
I picked up my adapter at the local Apple Store yesterday – the person I spoke to didn’t know it existed but they found the stock. It has some useful benefits for our business in field testing which first brought it to my attention. I wondered if it would work with my iPad Pro? And of course, why wouldn’t it work? Indeed using it with my 11.9” M1 iPad Pro I was able to see around 26W charging at 9V with my 96W MacBook Pro charger and USB-C to Lightning cable. I have seen 15V charging when the iPad Pro starts at very low battery with up to 35W, so a limitation here is that I think 27W (9V/3A) is as far as this goes. But that’s almost full speed charging of a modern iPad (note it’s also higher than the 20W charger Apple have typically included if you have access to a higher power USB PD charger such as those with MacBooks).
So, then I thought if it can do this, it might also allow charging my new 15” MacBook Air. And, lo and behold, this also worked. Yes, charging a modern laptop with a Lightning cable! I was able to confirm these details through the “About this Mac” —> System Report —> Power.
It advertised to the MacBook Air as a 28W charger – specifically identifying as the Apple USB-C to Lightning Adapter. (I’m guessing it has a chip in it which probably contributes to the price and which converts the power signalling from Lightning protocol to USB-C). Obviously, it’s not as good as the 70W charger which is optional for this MacBookAir, but a good match for the 35W dual charger in a pinch and not far off the 30W charger included with the base MacBook Air. But, wait. There’s MORE!
Then I started wondering about all the old USB-A adapters out there. Amazingly these work too with 11W recorded into the MacBook Air using a 12W old iPad charger.
So, not only does this adapter allow you to continue using your Lightning cables with new phones, it also allows you to charge ANY other Apple USB-C devices with almost any USB based charger and any Lightning cable.
Ironically, Apple’s done more for sustainability with this one action than the EU’s “rule” about USB-C – which by itself is a big initial negative rendering lots of chargers and cables useless without such solutions.
If you had to take just one cable with you for all your Apple gear, the answer may turn out to be Lightning!
If you’re not one of the 1 billion+ Apple users, how does this help YOU?
Well, for Android users – though I haven’t tested this – it should also allow you to use Lightning cables to charge Android phones – including providing pretty good USB PowerDelivery charge to 27W. So, a cable for every situation! Right now, the only true Universal cable. How ironic, EU? But very much in-tune with Apple’s sustainability push at the announcement event.
Here’s a handy summary of what you can do:
- You’ll need the Apple USB-C to Lightning adapter for this £29/$29 at the Apple Store. You plug a Lightning cable INTO the adapter and then plug the adapter INTO a USB-C device.
- The faster the charger you use, the faster the charging experience, but any charger above 30W is not going to help any further
- If you’ve forgotten the USB-C to USB-C cable that came with your new iPhone15, you can charge with this setup at similar speeds to iPhone 14 models.
- You can charge a USB-C iPad using this setup at a good speed (depending on charger).
- You can charge any USB-C based MacBook using this setup at a decent speed (MacBook Air models and using a 30W charger) or an acceptable speed (MacBook Pro models). In a pinch even a USB-A charger and USB-A Lightning cable will charge these devices up but over a much longer period (USB-A limits of 12W are an absolute maximum). But this would be ok in an overnight situation.
- You should be able to charge almost any Android phone that has a USB-C input using this setup and with approximately 0-50% charge in 30 minutes using a 20W (or ideally 30W) charger.
- You should also be able to charge larger USB-C based tablets and laptops using this setup, with power dependent upon the charger available (again up to around 27W).
- Of course, this same setup (without the adapter) can continue to charge all of your Apple devices and peripherals.
- Taking the adapter with you (Android or Apple users) allows you to “hijack” any friends Apple Lightning configuration to charge your USB-C based device.
So, this little gem of a dongle is a real get-out-of-jail device for all sorts of situations, and useful for many road warriors to carry around. If you have any other situations you’ve found it useful or think it might be useful, let us know and we can update this post.
Thanks for reading!
What are the risks of public phone charging?
This month the FBI warned that using public charging may put your data at risk but what are the REAL risks of using public phone charging?
ChargeBox has provided secure charging solutions for public use since 2005. We are privileged to partner with many of the world’s best-known retail, education, public transport, healthcare and event organisations.
We have never experienced a breach of our users’ data in all that time with over 55 million charges provided!
So let’s look at what we know about public charging stations and the risks you need to be aware of when using one.
What is Juice-Jacking?
“Juice Jacking” is a cyber-attack where a hacker gains unauthorised access to a device such as a smartphone by compromising the USB port. Once malware is installed on a device, it can perform various malicious actions, such as stealing sensitive data, track user activity, or even give hackers remote access to the device.
OMG, that sounds scary. Does it happen a lot?
No, it doesn’t. It’s unclear how common these attacks are; any instances have not been widely publicised. The risk was first identified in 2011, so it’s not a new threat.
So, the risk of it happening is extremely low?
The risk of ‘Juice Jacking’ is infinitely small. However, your safety and access to essential phone capabilities are at risk if your battery is low or out of power. These risks are far higher than the danger of having your device hacked.
So are public charging solutions safe?
It’s not possible to say, with absolute 100% certainty, that ALL public charging solutions are safe but as with most things in life, it’s up to the individual to make informed decisions.
That makes sense. Can I limit the likelihood of this happening to me?
It’s important to practice good cybersecurity habits. Here’s what we recommend:
- Always keep your device up-to-date with software updates, especially security updates. This is your first level of protection against any form of attack on your device in any situation.
- Once software updates are no longer available due to the age of your device, you should consider getting a newer device.
- If you are using a public charging solution, where are you? If you’re in a location managed by a respectable company, you can expect that company to have procured a safe & secure solution that can’t be tampered with.
- If you’re unsure who is providing a solution, look for a name and a website. Check the origins of the equipment, the company, and its data and device security pledges.
What precautions does ChargeBox take to ensure the safest and most secure charging experience?
- Our charging solutions, including electronics and firmware, are designed and manufactured in the UK. We use our own software to control our solutions with the highest levels of security in mind.
- We are governed by national laws in the countries we operate, and our business depends on our end users having a great experience and our clients who host ChargeBox giving a great experience to their visitors.
- ChargeBox solutions are connected securely to our servers, giving us precise information about operational levels and recording the safety of the charge.
- The charging components and cable endings we use are all securely locked so they are not accessible to third-party agents without evidence of tampering.
Isn’t this all a storm in a teacup? Surely the FBI has got more significant cybersecurity concerns to deal with?
Yes! It distracts from device and data safety dangers for which the FBI has been notably absent – namely, the sophisticated malware attacks aided by systems such as Pegasus and others.
Finally, out of interest, what data does ChargeBox access?
Our users’ data privacy is a fundamental aspect of our business model and company ethics. For complete details of your data privacy with any interactions with our stations or our company please visit:
https://www.chargebox.com/your-data-privacy-with-chargebox/
Thanks for reading!
A Blaggers guide to Fast Charge in 2023
Your questions answered.
All iPhones, since iPhone 8, and most Samsung or Google phones, have the latest USB PD Fast Charge standard in their hardware. But what is Fast Charging, and why should you care?
What is Fast Charging?
The technical name is USB 3.1 Power Delivery. The people-friendly term is “Fast Charge”, meaning you can charge your device at speeds up to 100W. In short, you can receive up to 50% phone charge in just 30 minutes!
So, if you’re stuck at an airport and thinking, “Yikes! I’m going to run out of battery before retrieving my electronic boarding pass!” – you’d be in luck if you had Fast Charging nearby, as you could get a 10% battery charge in about 5 minutes!
BUT unfortunately, public spaces are still behind the times in providing Fast Charging and most are yet to offer a reliable charging solution at all.
Do I need any specific equipment for Fast Charge?
Fast charge requires three components – a compatible phone/tablet/laptop or other devices, a charger that supports USB Fast Charge, and a compatible cable. The cable will need to have USB-C at least on the charger end and USB-C or Apple Lightning at the device end. Your device will need a Fast Charge system or a USB-C socket branded as Fast Charge for you to use your own cable at public charging solutions.
Can devices with Micro-USB use Fast Charge?
No, only devices with USB-C or Apple devices since 2017 with Lightning can use Fast Charge.
Isn’t wireless charging quick and better?
Wireless requires you to place your phone precisely on a wireless charging pad to get the best performance unless you use something like Apple’s MagSafe wireless charger. Fast Charge cabled charging is still 2-4 times faster and is more reliable. Wireless is better than nothing and fine for overnight charging, but not ideal for public charging when you want maximum charge in a short timeframe.
Is Fast Charge safe?
All modern devices control the power input to suit the devices’ battery characteristics. Manufacturer testing ensures the device takes the right amount of power at different battery charge levels to maximise the safe charge rate while maintaining long-term battery health. When phones go beyond 80-90% charge, they charge much more slowly, as this is when the phone will deliberately slow down the charge rate to protect battery longevity.
Can you only Fast Charge phones?
Many tablets (including all newer iPad models) support a higher level of fast charging. For example, iPads may use up to 30W, three times faster than the old base charger in the box or 1.5 times faster than the charger that ships with the iPad Pro. Of course, many laptops also support Fast Charging using USB-C cables.
I don’t have one of the big brand handsets, but I thought I already had Fast Charge.
You might do if it’s a less well-known Chinese brand, but it’s likely not using the international standard set by the USB Implementers Forum. Unfortunately, this means you will not benefit from public Fast Charging systems, and the technology’s proprietary nature might not hit all the safety standards.
So where could I charge my phone in a hurry when I’m out and about?
Look for USB-C plug points and charging stations with Fast Charge installed. Public spaces like shopping centres and airports have charging stations, but very few have adopted this technology. They will need to start investing in it soon because there will be demand from the public. If you find the charging facilities don’t cater for it, then ask for it. In the meantime, all new ChargeBox public charging solutions provide USB PD Fast Charge charging at up to 60W per cable, hugely outperforming any other public charging solutions we’ve encountered globally.
For more information on any of the Fast charge solutions we can offer your business, event or location – simply get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
The ChargeBox Team
How much energy does a Chargebox consume?
We get asked this question frequently because decision-makers are keen to understand the energy cost of operating a charging service and the sustainability of our products. With recent energy price hikes, it’s an important consideration when planning which type of charging service to install.
The good news is that even a heavily used ChargeBox isn’t going to make much of a difference to your energy bills. This is down to two key factors – first, we’ve chosen very low-power components to keep ChargeBox operational and managed, which means most of the energy used is actually to charge devices. The second factor is that charging a device – even a tablet or laptop – requires surprisingly little energy compared to activities such as boiling a kettle.
Remember also that providing a charging service isn’t necessarily increasing your electricity consumption. For example, if sockets are available to visitors, passengers, customers, staff, etc., they will charge their devices ad-hoc. So, ChargeBox is replacing this usage with a highly efficient and safely managed charging infrastructure. This can also lead to a reduced requirement to provide power sockets with reduced installation, repair, and management costs, resulting in reduced capital and operating expenditure.
Depending on the product, a single Chargebox uses just one 13A socket to power between 3 and 8 simultaneous charges. Multiple units can even use the same single socket if placed close together. So it’s an energy win-win!
Energy usage of ChargeBox Vs Other electrical items
Our largest ChargeBox model is our FAST6 (6-locker) charging station for fast-charging phones and devices. Based on 100 uses daily of 20 minutes average charge, with an average power of 20W – and allowing for the large advertising screen on the unit, here are the following comparisons:
- Boiling a kettle just 5 times in one day consumes more energy and creates more emissions than the FAST6 does in a complete day of operation.
- The electricity used to charge a typical large EV to 100% just ONCE consumes more electricity than 73 ChargeBox FAST6’s in high usage – equivalent to charging 7,300 devices!
- Having just 10 x 10W LED lights (the most efficient ones) on in your office consumes TWICE as much electricity daily as a ChargeBox FAST6 charging 100 devices.
- The average UK driver emits more CO2 in a day than 24 x ChargeBox FAST6 units charging 2,400 devices.
- A single high-power ElectricVehicle supercharger (e.g. at 150kW) uses more electricity in just 21 days than our 300-station UK fleet in a year, which can easily charge up to 5 million devices to 40% battery.
With customers increasingly dependent on their devices, and the reducing dependence on carbon-intensive activities this brings, it’s time for companies to unleash the power of offering a world-class charging service.
Device charging should be an essential part of the customer experience rather than encouraging ad-hoc plug socket hoarding!
Over and Out,
What is Qi2 Wireless Charging?
Did you know that wireless charging has been around for ten years already? Time races, and we all adapt to new technology, changing how we maintain our devices without even thinking about it.
But do you charge your phone wirelessly most of the time? Probably not.
That’s because wireless charging is not the best experience compared to a cable, but is that about to change?
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has this month announced an update to Qi wireless charging, revealing that the new Qi2 (pronounced ‘chee two’) will launch later in 2023. Compatible devices will also become available before the year’s end.
Great news for consumers because it helps address the current issues with wireless charging and will ultimately open up the way for broader adoption of wireless charging.
So how long before we don’t need cables at all to charge our phones?
Qi2, based on Apple’s MagSafe technology, uses a series of magnets to create a magnetic connection. A phone perfectly aligned with the charging device will receive improved energy efficiency and faster charging. Result!
For this to make more sense, it helps to understand how wireless charging works.
Inside every wireless charger is a coil of copper wire. When an electric current passes through the coil, it generates a magnetic field. Phones that support wireless charging also include a coil inside their back casing. Placing your phone on a wireless charging pad induces an electric current to the phone’s coil, and then charging begins.
Problems occur as soon as you increase the distance between the two coils. Moving the coils vertically or horizontally away from each other results in a loss of energy and reduced charging speed.
Qi2’s magnets solve this problem by aligning the transmitter and receiver coils almost perfectly. This results in a more consistent charge (you won’t easily knock your phone off the charger) and is less destructive to your phone. This is because any lost energy during wireless charging converts to heat which can impact long-term battery health.
The WPC says that Qi2 will have “faster charging for some devices” and could enable “significant future increases in wireless charging speeds that are safe and energy efficient.” That means more than the current 15-watt maximum of Qi and MagSafe.
The million-dollar question is, how long will it be before we receive the same 25-watt plus charge that a cable can provide?
A dramatic improvement in wireless charging could present the opportunity to eliminate ports from phones completely. That would reduce production costs, free up a tiny bit of valuable space in our phones for something else and improve water resistance.
Exciting times are ahead for phone innovation but much depends on how Qi2 is implemented and the market reaction.
We always believed that Apple® MagSafe was a superior wireless charging technology and that’s why it’s already integrated into all our wireless solutions. Boom!
The ChargeBox Team
Upgrading Your Event Experience With A Phone Charging Station
Free phone charging is an essential addition to any event, providing attendees with the opportunity to stay connected and make the most of their experience. Running out of power can cause major anxiety and frustration for guests. When device batteries are low, attendees may become disconnected from the event and ultimately leave before they’ve had a chance to enjoy it fully.
Providing easy access to free charging capabilities creates a feeling of convenience for your guests and enhances their overall experience by removing potential stress or worry about battery life.
Mobile devices have become indispensable tools
Mobile devices have become indispensable tools for staying connected, both in our private lives and in business. They allow attendees to navigate their way around the venue easily with app maps or GPS; they give quick access to tickets, loyalty cards, and other digital passes; they enable event goers to stay up-to-date with live event news, updates and offers; and of course, they let people engage in conversations with their peers by sharing photos, videos and thoughts on social media.
At events, mobile device batteries can run down quickly as attendees take advantage of all the features they offer. If battery levels become too low it can inhibit the full enjoyment of a particular event experience.
Fast Charge is essential for the event experience
Offering Fast Charge at events greatly enhances the experience for many attendees. By incorporating USB 3.1 Power Delivery technology, device batteries can charge up to 2-4 times faster than traditional methods, decreasing wait times and allowing users to spend more time enjoying the event instead of waiting for their phone to charge.
This revolutionary technology can also dramatically increase service availability. By decreasing the amount of time needed to use a charger, more attendees can access the phone charging station and have their phones charged in a shorter period of time. This can be a huge benefit for event organisers who want to maximise the event experience for all of their guests.
Fast Charge is the perfect way to provide a reliable phone charging service and make sure that everyone can power up their device in no time.
A charging station is a great way for sponsors to be involved
Phone charging stations offer a unique solution to both boost event engagement and provide convenience to guests. They can also be used as a platform to strengthen the brand presence of sponsors or partners. They effectively turn phone charging into an immersive experience with customised vinyl wraps and digital screens ensuring that companies remain visible throughout the event.
This can go a long way in creating an unforgettable experience for your guests while offering them an invaluable source of convenience. Allowing companies to take advantage of this valuable service helps to create a halo effect around their brand, further increasing loyalty and improving overall event success.
What’s the right charger for me?
When selecting a solution, there are a number of options to consider. From ‘Lock and Leave’ solutions that allow users to safely leave their mobile phone to charge while they get on with their day, to ‘Stay and Charge’ solutions that enable people to charge their devices while still using them, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect mobile phone charging for your needs.
What else is important when considering mobile phone charging stations?
In addition to choosing the right phone charging station for your event, you should also factor in how many are needed and where they should be located. Make sure that charging services are placed near seating or areas of high traffic so attendees can easily access them throughout the event.
Moreover, ensure that these chargers boast reliable security features such as remote management capabilities and fault detection protocols to provide maximum protection for users. With this in mind, selecting the right phone charger will prove invaluable in ensuring a great event experience for your guests and peace of mind for yourself!
Other considerations when choosing charging stations
To ensure that devices are safe, it is important to use phone charging stations manufactured by a reputable company with stringent safety protocols in place. Additionally, phone charging stations should have real-time monitoring systems installed so that potential problems can be identified and dealt with immediately.
Furthermore, services should have multiple layers of encryption in order to safeguard user data from any malicious activity. Finally, having an onsite technician present who is skilled in resolving technical issues related to device charging will help maintain a smooth event experience for event-goers.
Phone charging solutions, an essential service
In conclusion, free phone charging solutions can be a great addition to any event as they provide convenience and peace of mind.
When selecting phone charging solutions for your event, make sure you factor in the type of phone charger needed, where it should be located and the security features that need to be implemented.
Fast-Charge phone chargers are perfect for events requiring shorter wait times and higher service availability. Something to watch out for! Choose reputable companies with stringent safety protocols in place when it comes to device charging where public liability is a consideration.
If you would like help finding the right phone charging solution for your next event, then drop us a message! We’d love to hear more about your vision and help make it a reality.
Chargebox is an accredited living wage employer.
We are delighted to announce that ChargeBox is now an accredited Living Wage Employer!
This means that every member of staff working for ChargeBox earns a real Living Wage. The real Living Wage is higher than the government’s minimum, or National Living Wage, and is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living. It is calculated each year and is announced by the Living Wage Foundation as part of Living Wage Week.
Over 11000 organisations, including ChargeBox, voluntarily choose to pay the real Living Wage because we believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. You can find other organisations that pay the Living Wage here – www.livingwage.org.uk/living-wage-map
This commitment applies to not only directly employed staff but also to our third-party contracted staff. We are really proud of this commitment.
The Living Wage movement has benefited hundreds of thousands of families by enabling them to earn a wage they can live on. You can hear some of their stories here.
If you have any questions about the Living Wage please contact info@livingwage.org.uk
