So I got a crazy #idea for #Fairphone … Would be fun if some one could proxy this idea to the official folks there. @gael, @WeAreFairphone, @fairphone ?

Fairphones has a replaceable battery. Sometimes I would like to have a spare battery with me, to replace on-the-fly. In some situations, that is more convenient than to have the extra “dongle” known as an external USB battery pack.

The challenge is: How do you charge them? Back in the old phone days, you could have desk chargers for spare batteries. Another challenge: How do you carry external batteries safely?

So I got this crazy idea. Combine those two challenges! With an additional twist!

What if there was a portable “box” which could carry up to two Fairphone batteries, with a USB-C port to charge them. But! Let it also function as a USB-C battery pack which can be used with Fairphones (via cable) or other USB devices.

That gives you a portable battery charger, battery carry case for 2 batteries and a 3905 or 7810mAh OTG battery pack (based on FP4 batteries, depending on if 1 or 2 batteries are present).

If these cases can be designed to support more FP battery generations, you get something which could even be quite sustainable.

  • testmanM
    4·
    10 months ago

    that sounds like a good idea
    a hybrid between powerbank and battery case community could probably make some prototypes, just as a proof of concept I would be interested in trying one out

  • lo puto zirak
    2·
    10 months ago

    how do you carry your spare battery? I did it inside the original plastic envelope that came when purchased. during some bike routes I did having my FP4 as GPS this saved my life.

    how do you charge your spare battery? what I did was:

    1. every Monday I charged the FP4 to 100%
    2. power it off and replace the battery
    3. use the new battery the whole week until next Monday between 15%~20% and 80%~85%

    so you have a spare battery during the week charged at 100%, if I used the spare I do the se steps whatever the day of thw week was

    • 🔗 David Sommerseth@infosec.exchangeOP
      1·
      10 months ago

      @grapemix

      Yeah kinda … but that it can also charge other devices when not connected to a charging source.

      Use case 1: Charge FP batteries
      The “box” is connected to a charging source, which charges inserted batteries

      Use case 2: Charge USB devices
      When the batteries inside “box” are charged, connecting a USB device to this “box” will start charging the connected device

      Use case 3: Swap out the FP battery from this “box” with a discharged battery in the FP

      It would be a great bonus if it could also accept more generations of FP batteries. FP3 or FP4 and newer would probably be most realistic.