The potentially revolutionary device uses hydrogen to create electricity for powering everything from smartphones to games consoles.
Battery packs for giving laptops, tablets and smartphones extra juice while out and about and away from power sockets — whether because of business travel or backpacking in exotic locations — are nothing new, but they all have one thing in common.
When they run out of power, they need to be plugged into a mains electricity source in order to charge up. The UPP, which officially launched Tuesday, is different because instead of mains power, it uses hydrogen fuel cells that react with air to create the electrical current needed to power a device; the only by-product is water vapor, which is released into the atmosphere.
That might seem like an awful lot of technology for performing a task as simple as topping up a smartphone’s battery, but for many countries around the world, access to mains electricity is not a given.
Intelligent Energy has launched UPP – a personal energy device, to charge and power USB-compatible portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, feature phones, eReaders, tablets, portable gaming consoles, as well as digital cameras. With billions of USB devices used by consumers worldwide, UPP delivers at least one week of charge even to the most demanding, power-hungry smartphones.
Building on innovative fuel cell technology, Intelligent Energy has chosen Africa to launch this empowering portable energy product, and will showcase the device at AfricaCom in Cape Town. With the ability to charge and power as fast as the mains, Upp helps to power mobile commerce and connectivity within the region. Upp provides instant energy on-the-go: so as long as you have fuel, you will have energy. Upp’s Intelligent Auto Shutoff feature conserves energy and protects battery life of the electronic device it is charging. In addition, the Upp mobile app, which is free for both iOS and Android devices, provides predictive usage statistics as well as user profile information to enable better management of fuel levels.
“We are delighted to launch Upp, which represents a new category of energy device, and are excited about the transformational implications for the portable electronics market and the consumer,” said Henri Winand, CEO of Intelligent Energy. “With the growing demand for portable devices, mobile and cloud services, consumers want the energy independence to keep their devices connected and powered-up all the time. Upp is evidence that fuel cells are not just rocket science; the Upp fuel cell personal energy device has the power to extend your everyday life experiences and untether you from the wall socket, while making sure you stay connected.”
Upp – How it Works
The Upp fuel cell takes hydrogen provided by the Upp fuel cartridge and combines it with air to produce clean electricity with water vapour as a by-product. Users simply need to connect the fuel cell to a replaceable fuel cartridge to experience instant energy for their devices. In addition to the fuel cartridge being replaceable, Intelligent Energy has adopted a socially responsible approach to fuel replenishment, by enabling the reuse of each cartridge multiple times.
Upp – Availability
According to the GSMA, mobile phone subscriptions have risen to 475mn from 90mn in sub-Saharan Africa within the past seven years, and worldwide the number of subscriptions has passed 6.5bn. Launched at AfricaCom 2013, Upp is designed from the ground up to address the needs of global consumers who rely on their mobile devices for productivity, leisure and livelihood and will be initially rolled out in December 2013.
Upp App
Upp also comes with an app, which provides users with fuel prediction capability, personal usage statistics, FAQs and overall customer support. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (iOS 5 and higher) or from Google play for Android devices (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and higher).
