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Hands-On With Caviar's $4,400 'Tesla' Solar-Charging iPhone X
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What exact Anker model are you using? And what iPad and iPhone are you using? Did you charge both the iPhone and iPad at the same time, to 100%, within an hour? Were they 0% charged to begin with? I'm very interested but there are a ton of Anker solar devices.
At least you can leave it out in the sun charging and no one will steal it!
This is absurd! it takes 30 hours to recharge using the solar panel. It's butt-ugly, and does not really make any sense. Who would need this?
With that "30 hours" claim, don't forget: that requires continuous adjustment for optimal solar improvement angle, and full sun (no clouds, high sun (less atmosphere), low haze, no spectrum-absorbing glass).
You're not going to leave your $4,400 phone lying outside for most of 8 hours a day over 4 days while you reposition it every hour or so. You're not even going to be there long enough for it to sit more than a few hours. And it's going to take even longer when not summer.
I know. I work outside much of the summer, running a MacBook directly off portable solar (for fun). A 100 watt panel is barely sufficient, requiring positioning at least 4 times during use - else solar angle significantly drops output.
You're not going to leave your $4,400 phone lying outside for most of 8 hours a day over 4 days while you reposition it every hour or so. You're not even going to be there long enough for it to sit more than a few hours. And it's going to take even longer when not summer.
I know. I work outside much of the summer, running a MacBook directly off portable solar (for fun). A 100 watt panel is barely sufficient, requiring positioning at least 4 times during use - else solar angle significantly drops output.
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Does everyone forget the original Tesla? The engineer, died in poverty, made ugly devices that looked aesthetically
similar objects. Car company that's named after him?
edit: missed the line where they say it's inspired by Elon. Jesus they're dumb.
A solar cell operates best when it's receiving light straight on, in the visible specrum, and not too hot. I believe all that adds together to mean that a solar cell will likely collect otherwise wasted light energy in an office better than it would collect light energy outside from the sun.
I think it's reasonable to think this phone could be optimally charging around 15 hours per day, so it could gain 50% charge per day.
When my 6+ was brand new, I regularly only used 40% of the battery per day. Some people use their phones less than I do. So it's not at all hard to imagine that for many people, they'd never need to plug the phone in. For people who use their phones more than me, it'll probably be enough to only need to plug in the phone once every 3-4 days.
TESLA Keynote: "we believe this is the thinnest phone TESLA and Caviar have EVER made! And fully charged in just 30 hours via the built in solar panel, you'll have plenty of time to catch up with ACTUALLY speaking to people"
We have reached a new level of things to waste resources and money on.
We have reached a new level of things to waste resources and money on.
Tesla was a guy’s name, and Tesla the car company doesn’t make cellphones.
How many companies are named Acme?
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Who keeps their phone on their desk face down?
Is grossly overcharging for a product and calling it a luxury item now the new norm? A name in itself is not enough to justify to overpay for something such as this.
For $4,400, I can get a very good battery pack and get a new iPhone for the next 3 years or 2 13" MBPs, etc.
For $4,400, I can get a very good battery pack and get a new iPhone for the next 3 years or 2 13" MBPs, etc.
Indoor lighting is WAY less than direct sunlight.
[Pulls out 7 watt solar panel, enough to charge an iPhone in a few hours, sets up, turns on all lights]
There isn't even enough light in here for the iPhone to acknowledge there's an energy source attached. Ditto the battery pack optimized for this panel. Ditto a 1.5 sq ft 20 watt panel.
Ambient light can be harvested, but don't overestimate how much energy is available. We're it that easy, we'd have viable photovoltaic battery cases already.
OK, "custom iPhone maker" = drilled a hole into the back to wire into the power. Yeah, it's neat that they can make a solar panel do-dad and work with the iPhone internals, but it doesn't seem like a "CUSTOM iPHONE".
Also, the guy in the video says the "Tesla" name comes from the CAR COMPANY. Is he SURE about that? Caviar would name a special-electronics, iPhone-powering device after a car company, instead of Mr. Tesla, himself?
Also, the guy in the video says the "Tesla" name comes from the CAR COMPANY. Is he SURE about that? Caviar would name a special-electronics, iPhone-powering device after a car company, instead of Mr. Tesla, himself?
This is an interesting idea, but ultimately not feasible. Nokia tried this experiment several years ago with a feature phone, and there just isn't enough space on a phone to supply the necessary solar panels to effectively charge a phone. If one is going to use solar panels to charge a device, it is better to have the external components where the panels can be properly positioned to collect as much sunlight as possible.
This thing looks like something I would use as a companion to my Pip-boy while roaming through the Fallout universe.
You can get a signal in the middle of the ocean?
What carrier are you with, bro? If I were camping, I could easily charge my phone from my car, just saying. But day-am, I still can't get over someone getting a signal in the middle of the ocean. I guess would while way time playing on my phone as I die of starvation or dehydration.I can't believe this got pass the brainstorming stage. Who in his right mind would leave a $1000 piece of electronic sitting in the hot sun? Something I learn as a repair tech ages ago: Heat bad for electronics.
This is so stupid.
Several months back, a crazy custom "Tesla" iPhone X with a built-in solar charger made headlines across the internet because of its unique design and its $4000+ price tag.
We managed to get our hands on one of the Tesla iPhone X models, designed by custom iPhone maker Caviar, to test it out, and while this isn't something that most MacRumors readers are likely interested in buying, it's always interesting seeing one of these insanely expensive custom devices in person.
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According to Caviar, the Tesla iPhone X is so named because the solar charging panel and battery pack built into the back of the device were inspired by Elon Musk. There's no actual association with Tesla aside from the name and the solar design.
The Tesla iPhone X's solar charger isn't a case or a standalone battery pack - it's built right into the back of the iPhone. The solar addition is a 2,300mAh battery that can be used to charge the iPhone, and the battery itself charges using the power of the sun or via USB.
When charging using the sun, the battery takes 30 hours to charge, so it's in no way efficient. It is, however, useful if you're stranded sans power, and while home, you can use an included magnetic charging cable to charge it up in just a few hours.
We did notice when charging that the Tesla iPhone's battery frame and magnetic connector got super burn-your-hand hot, which is always a concern because it's not clear how safe custom iPhone components are in day to day use.
The device also comes with headphones, a Lightning cable, and a wall adapter, just like any other iPhone, but it has a Caviar-designed box that offers a premium unboxing experience as one would expect from a $4,400 iPhone.
The Tesla iPhone's battery pack is essentially similar to one of Apple's battery cases, except the battery is included at the back of the phone. This does, of course, disable the iPhone X's wireless charging feature, and it adds a good amount of bulk.
Along with the solar panel at the back of the device, the Tesla iPhone features carbon fiber accents, gold plating, and Tesla and Caviar-branded labeling on the device.
Aside from the solar panel and the custom design, the Tesla iPhone works like any other iPhone X. Face ID is unhindered, and the buttons work as normal.
This isn't a phone designed for the average consumer given its $4,400 price point, but there's a definite customer base for altered iPhones like this, and it's fun to check out even if it's not something we might buy.
What do you think of the Tesla iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Hands-On With Caviar's $4,400 'Tesla' Solar-Charging iPhone X
We all had the old school solar powered calculators in school. They were cheap and replaced often. Now, why would i want to pay 10,000% more for an iPhone expansion battery? Strange. The most common sense "tech" is always the most expensive isn't it? All by design as capitalism is King.
While I agree that 30 hours is way too long, and this phone is just a hot mess. You wouldn't need it to charge to 100% to make a phone call.