Remember Apple's AA Battery Charger? It'll Be a Vintage Product Soon

[grobik]

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE!!!

 

[Steeley]

I still use mine! The other chargers I’ve owned have been big chunky things, but the Apple one is always small enough to come travelling with me and I appreciate that about it.

 

[randomnut]

I still use this today. Not with the same batteries (amazon high capacity rechargeables to the rescue) but it’s a good charger and smaller than many others available too.

 

[ignatius345]

Not looking firward to the day I can’t use my mouse cause it charging with a cord sticking out the bottom of it #rolleyes

It's a silly design decision but people really blow this out of proportion. Just charge the mouse when you're not using it. You get plenty of warnings it's getting low.

 

[Reason077]

I still use this today. Not with the same batteries (amazon high capacity rechargeables to the rescue) but it’s a good charger and smaller than many others available too.

I also still have my Apple AA charger, still use it regularly, and it still works great.

I also have 3 of the original 6 silver Apple rechargeable cells still working. Of the other 3, I've lost two and one died just recently (just flashed amber whenever attempting to charge).

I also had some Panasonic Eneloops but I believe they were probably fake as all died after a few years, they've been long outlived by the older, original Apple cells.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I also still have my Apple AA charger, still use it regularly, and it still works great.

I also have 3 of the original 6 silver Apple rechargeable cells still working. Of the other 3, I've lost two and one died just recently (just flashed amber whenever attempting to charge).

I also had some Panasonic Eneloops but I believe they were probably fake as all died after a few years, they've been long outlived by the older, original Apple cells.

And I had four of the battery powered Apple Magic Mics, and have something like 10 of their batteries. And then they brought out the rechargeable mouse. DOH!! Have the batts in a box, with the 2 chargers I have. Oh well...

 

[Reason077]

And I had four of the battery powered Apple Magic Mics, and have something like 10 of their batteries. And then they brought out the rechargeable mouse. DOH!! Have the batts in a box, with the 2 chargers I have. Oh well...

Biggest problem I had with those original Magic Mice was the AA batteries. Or rather the connection from the battery cells to the mouse seemed to become sketchy after a time and the mouse would periodically lose power and disconnect. Wiggling the AAs around and jamming in bits of paper to create a tighter connection seemed to help for a while but the problem would come back periodically.

The newer rechargeable version has been so much more reliable! Lighter, too.

 

[compwiz1202]

Looks cool that you just plug it right in without a box and cord. But I can't think of anything we have anymore that takes easily replaceable batteries. TV Remotes I think are it, but we never touch those because ATV controls everything.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Biggest problem I had with those original Magic Mice was the AA batteries. Or rather the connection from the battery cells to the mouse seemed to become sketchy after a time and the mouse would periodically lose power and disconnect. Wiggling the AAs around and jamming in bits of paper to create a tighter connection seemed to help for a while but the problem would come back periodically.

The newer rechargeable version has been so much more reliable! Lighter, too.

I never had problems with battery fitment, but did have one die after I dropped it. The thin aluminum edge seemed to bend easily inward/upward, and getting it to bend back was almost impossible. I was able to get it to work, but the whole bottom was 'sprung', and it didn't sit quite right after that. I ended up having to toss it. I was so surprised/disappointed it was that easy to destroy one. Yikes...

 

[Reason077]

Looks cool that you just plug it right in without a box and cord. But I can't think of anything we have anymore that takes easily replaceable batteries. TV Remotes I think are it, but we never touch those because ATV controls everything.

For me, it's the Xbox game controllers! (Used with a Mac and, occasionally, iOS devices... Don't actually own an Xbox)

 

[randomnut]

Same here, Xbox controllers and tv remotes are mainly what I use mine for. And we have to go through a lot of Xbox controller batteries here, but fortunately having two on charge at any one time is perfectly fine.

 

[Aves]

I have two of these chargers and I still use them today. I even have a few original batteries, I think they were made by Sanyo.

 

[udance4ever]

came here wondering if the charger can charge AAAs (sounds like it won't and will test it out shortly when the charger is freed up)

I've had mine and its original batteries since 2010 and they are still powering my Apple BT keyboard and a generic BT mouse that takes forever (wouldn't doubt if it was a year of daily use or more!) to go through a single AA before it needs charging which has been awesome. The ones in my Apple BT keyboard definitely don't seem to keep their charge as well but I chalk it up to it being on standby all the time (I notice certain circumstances will make it drain faster (eg. iPadPro/Macbook in the other room away from my desk, close enough to want to negotiate connecting constantly)).

wondering if I can use it to charge batteries higher than 1900 mAh since that’s what the original batteries use.

I've had no issues charging 2800 mAh EBL and BONAIs I've gotten off Amazon (I totally forgot I bought the Apple charger in the first place because I read that the rebranded Eneloops were worth paying extra for *grin*)

never occurred to me that I have a vintage product though...