Charge your iPhone using other iPhones with ChargeBite

[Shawn Knight]

A new product by the name of ChargeBite aims to revolutionize the way you charge your iPhone. Marketed as a social charger, the device leeches juice from two other iPhones and feeds it to the drained handset just as fast as a USB port could supply power.

The Indiegogo campaign for the device points out the fact that it is completely portable and attaches to your keychain. There are no power outlets, USB ports or charging cables to contend with. The social charger requires no preparations or pre-charging as it simply acts as a transfer medium between phones rather than a battery pack

ChargeBite will be available in three different color combinations. The prototype device shown on the website uses three 30-pin connectors which means iPhone 5 owners are out of luck (unless you happen to have an adapter with you). What’s more, the device is able to draw power from an iPad although it is unable to recharge the tablet.

The device does appear to have some upside as you can recharge your phone if it’s dead but requiring two other iPhones and the fact that you can’t really use your phone to make calls (maybe unless you used speakerphone, a Bluetooth headset or the wired headset) puts ChargeBite at a bit of a disadvantage.

Early backers can pre-order a ChargeBite for $20 in your choice of color ($5 savings over the regular price). As of writing, the campaign has only raised $120 of the $45,000 goal but with 47 days left, there’s still plenty of time to turn this one into a reality. Estimated delivery for ChargeBite is scheduled for June of 2013.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/52037-charge-your-iphone-using-other-iphones-with-chargebite.html

 

[Guest]

If this is such a big issue, why would your other friend want to waste his battery too? It really relies on your friends being willing on halving their battery life for you which outside of emergencies I can't really see happening.

 

[Sunny87]

P2PP (Peer to Peer power) Great idea if you have low battery and don't reside near a plug socket like 90% of the modern world does.

 

[Nima304]

At what point would you be near two other fully charged iPhone 4S or older phones and not a power outlet? Also, how long would you have to carry this thing until that situation arises?

 

[davislane1]

At what point would you be near two other fully charged iPhone 4S or older phones and not a power outlet? Also, how long would you have to carry this thing until that situation arises?

When you're trying to be Mr. Cool by doing a cam capture in a movie theatre? That's the only situation I can think of. That, and maybe if you're out hiking with friends and suddenly have the urge to play Fruit Ninja but have no juice.

In the real world, however, I fail to see any practicality.

 

[Adhmuz]

This must be for the true iPhone addict, the one who has at least one of every generation of iPhone. Meaning they just need to carry around two of their previous gen phones fully charge ready to act as a spare battery. Honestly do you think people who have fully charged phones would want to lose their precious battery life, and it forces you to stay tethered together for an undetermined amount of time. So in the sense of getting people to share their batteries, its a stupid idea. If your the type who has extra iPhones laying around collecting dust, this might be the product for you.

 

[Jad Chaar]

I dont really see the point of this... my iPhone lasts me the whole day, and I charge it each night, if I was near an outlet I would just put on airplane mode...

 

[9Nails]

Or, buy phones with the standard Micro-USB port and borrow your friends charge cable.

 

[SNGX1275]

^ That is just an Apple bashing post for the sake of making an Apple bashing post. Having a micro USB port wouldn't solve anything here. That would presume you had access to a USB port, and if you had that, you would just use the regular cable for your iPhone...

 

[Kobejelly24]

I think it's a really cool addition when you don't have anything around and you need 5 10 percent really bad.. Which friend won't give you 8 percent? Happens to me all the time...

 

[misor]

A portable battery pack for iphone makes more sense than this product.

 

[supertech]

Terrible idea; I would not let anyone leech from my battery as it's already bad enough on its own. I have a charging cable close to me at all times due to the awful battery life of the lovely iPhones.

 

[Jad Chaar]

A portable battery pack for iphone makes more sense than this product.

but it makes your iPhone look so dumb... my friend has one and the iphone is literally 15% taller.

 

[misor]

but it makes your iPhone look so dumb... my friend has one and the iphone is literally 15% taller.

but carrying another iphone to recharge the main iphone is so... nevermind .

I long for the old days when you can just remove a spent battery and just insert a fresh battery.

 

[Jad Chaar]

but carrying another iphone to recharge the main iphone is so... nevermind .

I long for the old days when you can just remove a spent battery and just insert a fresh battery.

Yeah, I agree with you that it makes more sense and that this invention is useless .

 

[St1ckM4n]

I can see this working when friends go out to pubs and one person needs 10% to get through the night. You're all sitting at a table and don't mind losing 15% each (physics says you can't just transfer the power...).

I don't see it working elsewhere. "Hey bro, do you mind if I hold your $600 phone + one other for like half an hour? I promise to give it back and not look at your SMS!"

 

[misor]

In my area, some malls and mall establishments have charging stations.
...free to charge but some requires in-store purchase.
...need to be alert for unscrupulous persons, otherwise your iphone will become a nokia 5110 in an instant.