This convenient phone charger is a multi-port box you can rent for free for half an hour, or just $1.99 a day. AnkerBox turns phone charging into a service that will likely be more appealing than lugging your charger with you everywhere you go, or a USB battery pack. Instead of always being on the lookout for a free outlet or remembering to charge your external battery, AnkerBox has a new and affordable solution.
Similar to a bike-sharing scheme, the convenient phone charger and accompanying app are essentially high capacity (6700 mAh) battery packs for rent. Their PowerIQ tech also boosts your phone faster, so a 30 minute session should be more than sufficient to fully recharge your device.
The service will be launching their pilot program in April 2016 in Seattle.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Phone Charger Rentals
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Provide affordable and convenient phone charger rental services in busy urban areas.
- Portable Battery Packs
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop high-capacity battery packs for rent that incorporate fast-charging technology for smartphones.
- On-demand Charging Services
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a platform that connects smartphone users to charging stations available for rent on an on-demand basis.
Where This Applies
- Shared Mobility
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Expand the concept of sharing economy to phone charger rentals, creating a new category of shared mobility.
- Mobile Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate fast-charging technology into portable battery packs to enhance the efficiency of mobile devices.
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Leverage existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure to provide on-demand charging services for smartphones.
