Sep 7, 2016 | By Benedict
GogoToro, a Brooklyn-based design duo consisting of Reid Covington and Chase Larson, has used 3D printing to make ‘Chargemander,’ a Pokémon-themed battery case with a 33-hour gaming time and 15-minute charge time. The Chargemander is currently available for $69 through Kickstarter.
Statistics show that people are playing Pokémon Go a little less than they were a month ago, but the mobile game continues to have immense popularity across the globe and its launch will surely be remembered as one of the key cultural moments of 2016. One niggling issue still affecting Pokémon trainers is that of battery life: the game’s reliance on GPS and graphics quickly kills a smartphone battery, so people have been switching out their batteries mid-game, often using quirky 3D printed Pokémon charger cases to make the process less of an ordeal.
While we’ve seen a few of these 3D printed cases now, including several Poké Ball and Pokédex designs, the new Chargemander from GogoToro might just have set the benchmark, both in terms of its battery life and its titular pun! Although the final version of Chargemander will not be 3D printed, 3D printing was used to prototype the clever design, which is inspired by the classic Pokédex used by Ash Ketchum and co.
As mentioned, there are several Pokémon-themed battery cases available on the web, but GogoToro thinks its product has the added firepower to make you choose Chargemander. In response to user demand, the Chargemander comes with a 5200 mAh battery, giving more than 300% extra battery life to committed gamers. Using the device, iPhone 6 users can game for up to 33 hours after a charge time of just 15 minutes—around 16x faster than standard power banks.
According to GogoToro, the Chargemander comes with other advantages too. For example, gamers don’t need a separate charging cord for their phone and the charging case. Simply leave Chargemander connected to a smartphone, and the Chargemander will charge itself once the phone reaches 100%. Additionally, smartphones can be loaded directly into the case, whose hard exterior shell will protect a handset from bumps and falls, and can also be used as a stand. The Chargemander also features the classic red, yellow, and green lights of the Pokédex, which can be referred to for battery status by pressing the blue button.
Following the successful 3D printed prototypes, GogoToro will be making Chargemander cases for iPhone 5, 5s 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7. The duo have stated that they will consider making cases for other models should there be sufficient demand.
In order to fund production of the Chargemander battery case, GogoToro launched a Kickstarter campaign for the product, easily scorching its $15,000 goal after less than a day of being live. At the time of writing, the campaign stands at just over $40,000, with every $59 special early bird Chargemander already snapped up amid a blaze of interest. Luckily, many $69 early bird models remain before the standard $89 price tag takes effect. The smartphone battery case is available to customers anywhere in the world, with shipping due to begin in October 2016.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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I suspect some issues with a battery that can charge so fast ...
MarcC wrote at 9/8/2016 11:33:34 AM:
They missed a trick by not incorporating a guide slot in the front flip cover to use as an aim assist.
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