Phone maker punts AA-powered blower
15 years battery life, apparently
CES 2012
Mobile outfit SpareOne has unveiled a new dinky dialler powered by a single AA battery that, it claims, lasts 15 years before requiring replacement.
The SpareOne is a basic GSM blower with little on offer except the breath-taking battery claims.
Okay, so 15 years is quite a bold assertion, but the company does highlight it would have to be an Energizer Ultimate Lithium L91 battery for the figure to be accurate, admitting too that the phone would need to go unused in standby the entire time.
The SpareOne handles alerts through two LEDs, one for battery and the other for network statuses and signal strength.
That's about all you get, though. You'll have to rely on the good-old fashioned method of storing digits in a diary.
Unless, of course, SpareOne adopted a similar approach to that of the John's Phone, storing addresses in a paper pad built into the rear.
The SpareOne is available soon for $50 (£32). ®
COMMENTS
The battery might last 15 years, but the sim will probably be deactivated after 6 months!
If I still went mountaineering/hillwalking
One of these would get stuffed into a waterproof bag and go straight onto my basic gear pile.
Those Energizer Ultimate batteries are pretty awesome - I got just over four years of daily use out of my super-bright torch before it needed fresh ones. Also they weigh about half what normal AAs do. For some applications - where weight, longevity or both matter - their rather generous price tag is definitely worth paying.
I'd rather stick a spare battery for an android or mophie power pack for an iPhone in my rucksack so that I could be located by GPS or give my co-ordinates if I got into trouble.
I think the clue is in the name "SpareOne". It would be a good idea to have one in your car, along with a torch and a blanket etc.
I also know some old people who might like it. They just don't get how to use a mobile phone and if you had one that worked like a plain old touch tone they might like being able to take their phone with them.
Surely the shelf life of a battery left in its packaging, unused, is normally less than fifteen years?
