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

Using AA batteries to charge iPhone: any good products for this?

baryon

baryon

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 3, 2009
3,928
3,042
I'm going on a 5 day trip and I have no control over when and where I will have access to power outlets. I do not want to invest in an expensive mobile battery charger, as after this trip I'd probably never use it again.

I've seen the Eneloop Stick Booster years ago, but today it seems like it disappeared or has been discontinued, and it only seems to exist in Japan and the US (I'm in Europe) for some reason, even though it sounds like the exact thing I'd need.

I have tonnes of Eneloop AA batteries, is there a way to put them in some box that has a USB port, and voila? That sounds like it would be cheap as I wouldn't be paying for the batteries which I already own. In addition to my Eneloops, I could just buy AA batteries in any shop and use those as well. Does this method not work, or why am I not seeing anyone do this? It sounds like it would make a lot more sense than paying for an expensive battery pack just to charge your iPhone.
 
EDH667 said:
For about the same price as the above and a few packs of AA batteries, you can purchase one of these rechargeable external batteries that also functions as a flashlight and is about the size of a lipstick container.

http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower-Lips...=1416494531&sr=8-1&keywords=RavPower+lipstick
Click to expand...

The problem with the above battery is that he's likely to only get one charge out of it and maybe not even a full charge, depending on which phone he has. Since he's concerned about not knowing when he'll have access to power then it's possible that he'll need more than two charges before he can recharge the phone and the battery. Using AA batteries at least gives him a quick and easy way to recharge the phone without access to power an unlimited number of times (as long as you have a good supply of AA batteries).

That said, OP, you might still want to consider an external battery like this one...

http://www.amazon.com/12800mAh-Port...qid=1416505273&sr=1-3&keywords=anker+astro+e3

You should be able to get 4-5 charges out of it and hopefully that should last you through several days (or maybe even the whole trip depending on how much you use your phone) and at $45 is probably still not too much more than the AA adapter and a bunch of AA batteries. Also keep in mind that if you leave your phone in airplane mode to avoid roaming charges that your phone battery will last much longer than normal. Especially if you also remember to turn off wifi when you're not using it. You may easily get 2 or more days out of a single phone charge.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Thank you all! There are plenty of good ideas here!
 
baryon said:
Does this method not work, or why am I not seeing anyone do this?
Click to expand...
It technically works but AA's don't charge modern devices all that well though the rechargeables will work a bit better than alkalines. It's really best suited as an emergency charger where you just need enough power to place emergency calls. For regular recharging the power banks are better equipped to charge devices.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back