As you lie under the shade of coconut trees while taking a sip from a glass of sweet punch and enjoying the turquoise waters and sun-kissed white sand, you feel like you’re in heaven. Suddenly, your iPhone rings. Ah, business matters – they won’t go away even if you are on vacation. Turns out that it’s one of your biggest clients on the line and he’s looking forward to making a potential groundbreaking deal with you.
Excited, you’re about to close the deal until, suddenly, your phone turns off. The battery has been completely depleted, turning this oasis into a living hell.
Unfortunately, you’re on the beach, meaning you will need to charge your phone back at the hotel. And yes, you can’t have that.
If only you were armed with a solar-powered charger for the iPhone – turns out this actually does exist.
Wait, what?
Yep, you read that right. The iPhone and the iPad now has a decent solar-powered charger which means you can bring it anywhere without having to worry about running out of juice.
The Solartab
Aptly named the Solartab, this a really good product. It’s better than any power banks out there considering its main power source: the sun itself, making it a renewable and green source to boot. Here are some of its specifications and important details:
- It’s armed with a 5.5w solar panel.
- It has two 2.1 USB ports and one micro-USB port which can be used to charge both the iPad and iPhone.
- It has a 13,000 mAh battery capacity.
- If fully charged, it can fill several iPads and iPhones.
The four LED lights on the side indicate the Solartab’s battery life, while on its opposite, the solar charging indicator glows when it’s absorbing sunlight.
Hands-on with the Solartab
In the illustrations, it looks rather cumbersome but once you get your hands on it, it’s portable and easy to carry around. Consider it a little thicker and heavier than the original iPad, though it seamlessly slips inside your bag. It also comes with a nice leather case, meaning you won’t have to get awkward stares from people who are wondering why you’re carrying around a solar panel.
One of the best things about it is it seems to never run out of power – just prop it up against a window or directly under the sun and it’ll have enough power to charge several of your devices. That being said, you can charge your devices while it’s gathering sunlight.
Solartab can also power your laptop computers (notably MacBook), prolonging their battery life. We could see future versions of it support laptops if it will turn out to be a success.
Verdict
This solar-powered charger for the iPhone and iPad is a great accessory and a perfect traveling partner, especially for long flights and road trips. For $119, you may no longer need electrical outlets to power up your mobile devices. Its availability is limited (which is why you need to order one now), though the company accepts shipping orders anywhere around the world.
If you want improved future versions, pledge your support on its Kickstarter page or order it directly from its website.
