14 DAY TRIAL // Apple may have rebranded Sanyo's Eneloop batteries to sell them in its own packaging alongside the company's all-new charger, recent reports indicate.
Tests carried out by SuperApple.cz seems to confirm such rumors, although no markings or physical signs of any kind were found to support this theory.
What the Czech tinkerers did was to verify comparable parameters, such as voltage, and capacity.
They found that “in all likelihood, this indeed is the Sanyo Eneloop cells, specifically the model of HR-3UTG because they correspond to physical parameters of the articles,” according to a Google-translated excerpt posted by MacRumors.
Although this shouldn't necessarily spell bad press for Apple, the fact that Sanyo originally developed its Eneloop batteries in 2005 does set Cupertino back a bit.
Five-years worth, do be precise, which can affect the image of a company touting itself as the most innovative out there.
However, few may have expected Apple to manufacture its own batteries, therefore the news should not count too much.
“The Apple Battery Charger comes with six high-performance AA NiMH batteries,” Apple states.
The Mac maker advertises its recent addition to the accessory line, saying: “And once they’re done charging, the charger automatically reduces the amount of power it needs, so you don’t have to worry about wasting energy.”
Apple Battery Chargers ship with six of these AA NiMH batteries so that customers always have a working keyboard and mouse, and two freshly-charged units ready to be used at any time, Apple explains on its web site.
The Mac maker also boasts that, “Unlike many other reusable batteries, these batteries have an incredibly long service life — up to 10 years. Which means you can finally break the cycle of buying and disposing of those single-use alkaline batteries.”
The batteries are also said to have a very low self-discharge rate.
“Even after a year of sitting in a drawer, they still retain 80 percent of their original charge.3 That way you always have backup power when you need it,” Apple claims.