Sony introduces portable hand-cranked USB charger

Let’s face it, if there is one area in smartphone technology that hasn’t moved nearly as fast as it should, it is on the battery side. Phones with bigger screens and faster processors mean that you’re lucky if you get a whole day’s of use out from your phone. Another trend of integrated batteries means that it can be a challenge to manage battery life. Luckily Sony has an answer in the form of the CP-A2LAKS USB charger.

However, this isn’t any old charger. This is a hand-cranked USB charger, which means even if you have forgotten to power the USB charger at home you can easily do it on the move. Don’t go thinking this will solve your energy crisis though, it should only be used as an emergency back-up. Turning the handle for three minutes will give you only one minute of smartphone talk time, turn it for five minutes and you get one minute of browsing.

It can also be charged via a traditional AC outlet which would see the 4,000mAh battery capacity good enough for two full smartphone charges. Sony gives the example that it should around 130 minutes to charge the Xperia acro HD using its 1.5A output. The Sony CP-A2LAKS USB charger will be released in Japan on 20 June for around 8,000 Yen (£62, €78, $100).