Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,288
30,363



On the CES show floor, Native Union is demonstrating its new Jump accessory, which combines a Lightning cable with an 800mAh battery pack for simple charging and extra battery life on the go.

jump.jpg
Jump is like standard battery packs, providing battery life to an iPhone, but because it's also a Lightning cable, the battery portion of the accessory is charged each time the iPhone is charged. This eliminates the need for the battery pack to be charged separately of the iPhone, which is often an inconvenience that requires an entirely separate cable.

The accessory utilizes an AutoCharge circuit prioritization system to detect when the iPhone battery is full, at which point it charges the battery pack portion of the Jump.

jump2.jpg
JUMP is not just a charging cable; it also provides your smartphone with a substantial power boost wherever you are, without ever having to remember to charge it. Perfect for work, play, and travel.

Unlike power banks, JUMP charges automatically every time you charge your phone, giving you complete reassurance that whatever situation you are in, there's always power in your pocket.
Jump is ultra compact (1.9 inches), weighing less than two AA batteries and fitting easily into a pocket. The 800mAh battery pack delivers an extra 1/3 charge, which equates to an additional 3 hours and 50 minutes of talk time or web browsing.

The Jump is currently a Kickstarter project and can be pre-ordered for a $35 pledge. Currently, the project has received just over half of its funding with 36 days to go and will begin shipping to backers in May of 2014 if full funding is reached.

Article Link: CES 2014: Native Union Shows Off 'Jump' Cable/Battery Charger Combo
 

byke

macrumors 6502a
Mar 29, 2007
724
60
LDN. UK
Wish the lighting cable wasn't hardwired to the unit.
So you could unplug the lightning connector and plug in a micro usb if needed.
Rather than having to buy 2 separate devices.
 
Last edited:

procrastinasn

macrumors regular
Jun 20, 2010
108
287
Wish the lighting cable wasn't hardwired to the unit.
So you could unplug the lignin connector and plug in a micro usb if needed.
Rather than having to buy 2 separate devices.

The problem with having a usb port instead of it being built in is that the device would lose its portability. There are plenty of battery packs that you could buy with USB ports, but they're not portable because you'd have to plug in an extra cable.
 

Nevaborn

macrumors 65816
Aug 30, 2013
1,086
327
If you have usb storage on one side then on the other why cant you have slots to store swapable connectors ?
 

scott523

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2006
870
128
Saint Charles, MO
Why doesn't Jump have swappable connectors? It's like asking Apple why make the MBP battery not user replaceable? Portability is key.

This Jump battery's main selling point is the ability to charge a phone and/or built-in battery with a USB cable in an ultra portable form factor.

External batteries with USB ports are still portable but may require a bag for transport to avoid having a weird bulge in the pocket and that's what some people are looking for.

In my opinion, a battery capacity that low isn't worth having in my pocket.
 

greg555

macrumors 6502a
Mar 24, 2005
644
8
Canada
$35 isn't too bad... I wonder if it'll go up i price when it actually gets started.

Firm the kick starter page it appears retail price will be $50.

Too bad it only gives a 1/3 charge. A bit bigger and 50 or 60% charge would be better.
 

curmudgeon32

macrumors regular
Aug 28, 2012
240
1
Meh. If I'm going to carry something else in my pocket or bag, it might as well be a real battery case that will actually charge the phone back up to 100%
 

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
Meh. If I'm going to carry something else in my pocket or bag, it might as well be a real battery case that will actually charge the phone back up to 100%

yup, thats what I think. might as well buy a powerbank with 11000mAH battery
that can charge the phone 3-4 times. and nowadays these powerbank comes in smaller package.
 

taptic

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2012
1,341
437
California
Hm, overall this doesn't sound as new and crazy awesome as the kick-starter page makes it out to be....

It's small: great. It gives 1/3 a charge: whaaa...?

There are slightly bigger ones that give way more charge it seems....:/
 

Lionel Messi

macrumors regular
Dec 2, 2013
213
236
Barcelona, Spain
yup, thats what I think. might as well buy a powerbank with 11000mAH battery
that can charge the phone 3-4 times. and nowadays these powerbank comes in smaller package.

Why would anyone want to charge their phone 3-4 times? I think Jump is amazing as I need something small, light and portable. That 30% extra charge will give you a lot more talk time. I was planning on buying a slim battery pack but not one was as portable as the Jump. I already have a wallet in my right pocket and phone in left pocket and hate putting things in the back pockets. Maximum portability is key here.

I suggest you back it now and you get to cancel before the project ends (or check the project later) as Kickstarter projects sometimes have stretch goals. I'm hoping for a slightly larger battery but let's see if they have one in the first place.
 

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
Why would anyone want to charge their phone 3-4 times?

eemmm, because it eliminates the need to charge the battery pack for a long period of time ? and it would be good enough for 3-4 iphone charge.....

my point stands, this is just a hassle imo. only charge 1/3 which is just barely enough, and usually on real life usage it would come down to 1/4 of the charge
knowing the battery volatility and can't hold charge.
 

Lionel Messi

macrumors regular
Dec 2, 2013
213
236
Barcelona, Spain
eemmm, because it eliminates the need to charge the battery pack for a long period of time ? and it would be good enough for 3-4 iphone charge.....

my point stands, this is just a hassle imo. only charge 1/3 which is just barely enough, and usually on real life usage it would come down to 1/4 of the charge
knowing the battery volatility and can't hold charge.

You got a strong point but over here it's all about portability and convenience. The Jump charges after your iPhone finishes charging so it's no problem. A small battery pack will have a shorter charging time unlike a large one.
 

John.B

macrumors 601
Jan 15, 2008
4,192
705
Holocene Epoch
At 800mAh, I would call this an "emergency charger", nothing more. That's about enough capacity to charge an iPhone 5/5s battery back to maybe 33% IRL.

As a point of reference, the battery pack I use for backpacking, travel, etc. has a 15000mAh capacity, can charge a drained iPhone 5/5s more than seven times, weighs about twice what my iPhone weighs and is the size of a small external hard drive. And costs $50.

Still, this is a clever idea, and I'm sure they'll sell a number of them to people -- who will eventually realize it just doesn't store enough juice to be useful outside of needing to make a few calls once they've run their battery flat.
 

GSPice

macrumors 68000
Nov 24, 2008
1,632
89
It's sad, but it seems more and more Kickstarter projects these days are just cleaned-up DIY hacks, not something that creates and/or meets a substantial market need.

I mean, how many different ways do we really need to prop up our iPhone on the desk?
 

Mary Margaret

macrumors newbie
Jan 16, 2014
1
0
yup, thats what I think. might as well buy a powerbank with 11000mAH battery
that can charge the phone 3-4 times. and nowadays these powerbank comes in smaller package.

Yes.i agreed that point.and i bought the powerbank with 8000mAh--Standard Capacity,can charge my phone 5 times at least one week...the brand is kinkoo,you can check it at www . ikinkoo.com
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.