POWER UP
New charging ‘toaster’ gadget gives your iPhone an instant battery boost so you never have to worry about charging again
Support for Android devices is coming later this year
IPHONE users will never have to worry about low battery again thanks to a quirky new toaster-like gadget that instantly provides a power boost.
Irish startup Swippitt has invented the Instant Power System (IPS), which doubles the lifespan of your phone’s battery in just two seconds.
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The device doesn't blast your handset with a power shot.
Instead, it uses a bespoke Swippitt Link phone case which has a smart battery tucked away inside it.
When you slot your iPhone into the Hub the tech cleverly swaps out the case's integrated battery with a fully charged one, providing you with an instant extra external charge.
The Swippitt Hub holds five battery packs inside.
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It means there's no need for any wires or wireless charging stations that require you to wait around.
The idea could be a life-saver for phones on the verge of dying and with little time to charge just before heading out.
Swippitt is launching for iPhone 14, 15, and 16 models first.
But it will expand to support Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy later in 2025.
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The Sun got a taster of the gadget at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a major tech event held in Las Vegas every year.
"We’re thrilled to unveil Swippitt at CES," said Swippitt boss Padraic Connolly.
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"We’ve created a user-friendly, simple to use, fast, and sustainable way to keep phones powered, solving one of the biggest frustrations for cellphone users.
"Swippitt is the first Instant Power System of its kind, and we believe it will make a huge difference in people’s lives.
"This technology will change how people think about battery management and help lead the way towards a smarter, simpler path to power cellphones."
The Swippitt app also has advanced options such as battery stats and family safety features.
However, the product doesn't come cheap, with the hub costing $450 (£364) for the hub and $120 (£97) per phone case.
WHY DO BATTERIES GET WORSE OVER TIME?
Here's what you need to know
- Most gadgets run on lithium-ion batteries
- Over time, the amount of charge this type of battery can hold gets smaller
- That means you need to charge your device more often because they hold less charge
- Batteries have two electrode points – the cathode and the anode
- To charge a battery, the ions inside the battery are forced from the cathode to the anode
- When you use a battery, it moves in the reverse direction
- This process wears away at the structure of the anode, reducing its ability to function correctly
- But the process also builds up a kind of salt on the cathode when charging
- As this build-up grows, the battery will accept less charge over time
- It’s estimated that between 500 and 1,000 full charge-cycles will reduce a battery’s maximum capacity by roughly 20%
Picture Credit: Apple / The Sun
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