14 DAY TRIAL // Panasonic really values its batteries and power supply expertise, more than many other companies, and nothing can make a statement to that effect like a special new product line.
The power supplies that Panasonic formally introduced yesterday (April 9, 2012) might not conjure up the correct mental images.
When saying the words 'power supply” people with some IT knowhow might immediately envision one of those metal boxes that power PCs.
What Panasonic made is a series of devices geared towards the mobile market.
In fact, they more closely fit into the definition of (re)charging stations, since that is what they do: recharge mobile devices on the go.
The only reason they are even advertised as power supplies is that they don't need to be plugged into a power outlet to work.
Instead, they have batteries on the inside, which can restore the energy to phones, MP3 players, etc.
QE-QL301 is the highest-capacity model and can recharge a smartphone four times before needing to be recharged itself, via USB or AC power.
What's more, it has two USB ports, meaning that it can handle two phones, tablets, etc., at once.
Speaking of refilling power banks, three of the new USB Mobile Power Supplies comply with Qi wireless charging standard.
In other words, they can be recharged wirelessly, not just from a power outlet or Universal Serial Bus.
“With the advancement and rapid popularization of mobile devices, there has been a growing concern over battery life among users,” Panasonic wrote.
“Given this situation, the market for auxiliary power supplies is expanding, and there is a particular interest in rechargeable power supplies, which are economical and cause less environmental impact as they can be used repeatedly.”
Sales will start on May 28, in Japan. Unfortunately, there is no word on what prices users will be expected to meet.