Brando, the king of all things USB and inexpensive (read: cheap), now has available the USB Multi-Cellular Phone Charger. What does this device do? Well, it allows modern mobile phone makers to get away with continuing to use antiquated techniques for charging the cell phones they sell to us. What Brando’s USB Multi-Cellular Phone Charger is, is a box with a bunch of plugs sticking out of it. Plugs that fit the power ports on a number of different types of phones.
In fact, there are eight different plugs or ports on this diminutive little white box. These ports and plugs support phones from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Siemans, Sony Ericcson and more with the inclusion of mini-USB in the mix. The one thing it doesn’t support is the iPhone. Of course, this doesn’t really matter since the USB Multi-Cellular Phone Charger can only charge via a USB port on a computer, anyway (just plug your iPhone into your computer, dummy!)
As often is the case with technology that sounds good in theory, there’s a slight problem with Brando’s multi-pronged device.
It’s less a problem and more of a dilemma, actually.
The dilemma is for anyone interested in charging their cell phone on the go. Why would you possibly spend the $18US asking price for this thing and have it shipped from Hong Kong (where Brando is based) if you only own a single mobile phone? This kind of device would only be useful (and really worth the effort of getting it) if you had more than one cell phone, or perhaps five or six of them.
On top of that, this thing looks to be more dangerous than a fully opened Swiss Army Knife. Just look at all of those projecting plugs, just waiting to jam you in the flesh if you happen to need to put this thing in your pocket. Sure, Brando includes a block of foam to carry the thing in, but how long will that foam take to get lost the first time you use the charger? Either the cat will get it at home or you’ll lose it when you’re charging up at a Starbucks.
Then we come back to those antiquated plugs. Why support these old, easily broken plugs as a manufacturer? Isn’t it just a matter of time before everyone drops this old tech? Beyond that, why not just buy the one or two adapters you need for your own phones? Why carry a block like this around?
