ChargeCard – Review
Lets be honest from the start, this is not the invention of the wheel or sliced bread. Its not going to be the next big thing to ever happen in the world of tech. But I’m sure we have all had a time, when we’re out and about or around a friends house and you need to charge your phone or copy some files across. Wouldn’t it of been useful to have a card sized USB cable in your wallet that you could use? That is exactly why I loved the look of this product, it fills the void in a niche market.
This was originally a Kickstarter idea, and was the first one which I genuinely had an interest in, hence why I sent them some money. It took a while, there were issues with the manufacturing etc, but what I love about Kickstarter is that they can keep you updated with the goings on of the project. There was a charge for international shipping, which has since been removed from their website. They currently have models for Android, iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.
My ChargeCard measures in at 3.25 by 2 by 0.13 inches (HWD), so a little different in size to your standard credit/debit card. As android phones differ in shapes and sizes, they have decided to cut the card at an angle and have the MicroUSB connection coming out at a weird angle. I tested the connection on My One, Nexus 7 and the One X and didn’t have any issues. A rubber strip runs down the middle and has a USB connection on the end. The USB strip bends out in either direction, and can be clipped back in when not being used. The whole card is covered with a rubber edging, this secures the card in your wallet and makes sure it doesn’t fall out. It uses the standard USB 2.0, this allows you to charge and transfer data at the same time.
People may have issues using this with a tower pc, I only have laptops so don’t have an issue. Due to the size and form factor there is very little extension with the connection, so if you’re plugging this into the back of the computer, you won’t be able to use your phone and the same time. I personally view this product as a convenience and emergency item. Its quite nice to plug your phone in and to not have cables all over the place, you can plug it in, use the phone and then put the “cable” right back into your wallet. Its also good to always have a cord on you, for charging or transfers, and the ChargeCard means you’ll always have a cable on you at all times.
I have been using it for a couple of days, and normally via my laptop and not had any issues. It plugs in and charges and also allows me to transfer documents back and forth.
I would recommend people to get this at some point, its not an essential buy, but its always good to have. Its better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it, which makes it very similar to another thing that lives in your wallet.
You can grab the ChargeCard from their store – www.chargecardproject.com/products/android.html
