Apple Battery Charger

by Apple

• The sleek, compact Apple Battery Charger is all about efficient charging.
• Each Apple Battery Charger comes with six NiMH batteries - two for your keyboard, two for your mouse or trackpad, and two for charging.
• The Apple Battery Charger has the lowest "vampire draw" of any similar charger on the market.
• With the Apple Battery Charger, you no longer have to buy or hassle with the disposal of batteries every few months.
• The charger works quickly and efficiently. And once your batteries are fully charged, it draws less power than any other similar charger on the market.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003XIJ566
• Item model number: MC500LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #12 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Accessories > Batteries & Chargers > Battery Chargers
  • #26 in Electronics > Accessories & Supplies > Batteries, Chargers & Accessories > AC Adapters
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 27, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com

The first battery charger designed by Apple, the Apple Battery Charger sets a new industry standard for quick, wise energy usage. That's because the Apple Battery Charger has one of the lowest standby power usage values--or "vampire draw"--of any similar charger on the market. Standby power is the energy that most chargers continue to draw after their batteries are fully charged. In contrast to most chargers, the Apple Battery Charger senses when its batteries are done charging and automatically reduces the amount of power it needs. This intelligent power management system makes the charger one of the most energy-efficient rechargeable battery solutions ever.

Fully Loaded

The Apple Battery Charger offers a much smaller "vampire draw" than most other chargers.

Each Apple Battery Charger comes with six high-performance AA NiMH batteries: two for your keyboard, two for your mouse or trackpad, and two for charging. Unlike many other reusable batteries, these batteries have an incredibly long service life--up to 10 years--meaning you can finally break the cycle of buying and disposing toxic, single-use alkaline batteries. The batteries that come with the Apple Battery Charger kit also have an extraordinarily low self-discharge rate. Even after a year of sitting in a drawer, they still retain 80 percent of their original charge, so you'll always have backup power when you need it. And although the charger is built for six batteries, it can also recharge one or two batteries at a time, including AA NiMH batteries from other companies, too.

It's a Beautiful Fit

The Apple Battery Charger is as well designed on the outside as it is on the inside. The charger boasts a sleek, compact shape, so you can plug it in between tangles of desk wires or pack it neatly in your computer bag when you travel. And like Apple power adapters, the Apple Battery Charger is designed with a removable AC plug, so you can replace it with plugs that fit different outlets around the world. Ideal for energy-conscious computer users of all stripes, the Apple Battery Charger comes with a wall charger and six rechargeable AA NiMH batteries.

The charger and batteries fit seamlessly within the Apple design landscape.

Product Description

Now there’is a better way to power your wireless keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, or just about anything that requires AA batteries. The Apple Battery Charger kit comes with a sleek, compact charger and six high-performance AA NiMH batteries that are ready to use right out of the box. The reusable batteries are exceptional at holding a charge and last for up to 10 years. Which means you can finally break the cycle of buying and disposing of those toxic, single-use alkaline batteries.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 161 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pricey, Elegant, Energy Efficient Charger August 20, 2010

By Glenn R. Howes TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

I'm going to compare this charger to the less expensive Sanyo Eneloop 2 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries w/ Charger which I've also purchased. The Apple charger comes with 4 more batteries, so the total cost of the Sanyo system with 6 batteries is about a third less than the Apple charger.

I've read on Engadget that the batteries are the same, just with different labels. Apple is not in the business of designing and manufacturing AA batteries, they have someone else do it for them to their specifications. So the difference is in the charger.

The Apple charger is outwardly much nicer looking--it is an Apple product after all--and more importantly much less bulky. The Sanyo charger takes up a lot of room and will not fit nicely on a power strip. The Apple charger has the added bonus of using a standard Apple plug module, so I could attach a long cord or an international plug should I go outside the United States. It is a simple and elegant object.

As for gains in power efficiency. I do not believe the Sanyo charger is particularly inefficient. I've attached it to my Kill-A-Watt and once the battery is charged, the device shuts off its light--just like the Apple charger--and goes into a mode which uses so little energy my reader displays it as zero Watts. The Apple charger might well use less, it's just such a small amount you are unlikely to notice; it would certainly take a long time to make up the cost difference.

Be warned that because of the chemistry of NiMH batteries, these are not 1....5V batteries and will never appear to be 100% charged in the OS X Bluetooth menu. They aren't defective, just different from non-rechargeable batteries. Also, when you first get your Apple charger, 2 of the batteries ship inside the charger; take them out and make sure they are properly oriented before attempting to top them off.

So, I would say this is a hard call. The Apple charger is smaller, matches my other Apple gear, has a more flexible plug, and if need be, could be serviced at your local Genius Bar; whereas if the Sanyo failed, I'd probably toss it. On the other hand it is noticeably more expensive. Either way, it's great to use rechargeable batteries on my cordless desktop devices. Read more ›

112 of 119 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great design and performance! June 18, 2011

By Mediahound TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

Length: 4:21 Mins

Please watch my video review where I demonstrate this product as well as compare it to the Sanyo Eneloop charger.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy it for the charger. August 24, 2010

By Proud Pappa

Amazon Verified Purchase

Non-Apple battery chargers will cost you less. But none of them are as compact as the Apple one. Besides, who can resist a $29 Apple gizmo? Read on for more details on why I replaced my battery charger with the Apple one.

I already had a bunch of rechargeable batteries which I charged using the loud clunky Duracell charger that came with the Duracell kit. The Duracell charger makes a loud fan noise while charging and the power brick is as large as the charger. My plan was to charge a bunch of batteries and have them ready to go. But for some reason unless the batteries have just been charged they always show about a 60% charge after they sit around. The way my Apple Magic Mouse goes through batteries I needed some rechargeable batteries ready to go but I didn't want the Duracell clunker sitting around my desk. So now I have a nice looking little Apple battery charger. Yeah.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Tiny charger September 6, 2010

By I. Siddiqui

the real advantage for Apple batteries is charger (for travel), otherwise Eneloop from Sanyo is best for price. I got Eneloop from Costco for $26, pack of 8 AA and 4 it includes charger and C/D covers to use these on those devices works great on toys.

I am using Apple batteries with IMAC's mouse, KB and Trackpad, so far so good. I have to see if it really last as Apple says.

My Eneloops are more than a year old and working great, all other Rechargeable batteris (3-4 years old are garbage in comparison to these new rechargeable, I need to recycle them).

If you need it for travel Apple batteries are great, price is fair for 6 pack and tiny charger (real plus point).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars BUY SANYOS THEY ARE THE SAME BATTERIES & CHEAPER. August 9, 2012

By Charles Bittner TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

I wanted to get some Apple batteries that they sell 6 for $30 but my logical side realize that I probably could find something similar cheaper. So I did some Google searching and found somebody who compared these Eneloops to the
Apple batteries and they are identical. So basically you save between 25 and 30% instead of buying the Apple branded batteries. The one thing that I do appreciate also which you cannot do with the Apple batteries is by 4 packs or 8 packs. I will clarify I ment but the 4pack AA with Charger & 4 pack AA = $30... but 6pack AA & charger $30 which is the same as apples.

Buy the 2AA a the charger and then a 4 pack AA of Eneloops & save $7.00 on Apples price!

One thing I will say is that the Apple charger is way more styling than the Sanyo but really I'm not that vain. When you by Eneloops you are getting the best rechargeable batteries on the market they just last forever and you can recharge them and are good for the earth so it's a win-win-win all the way around. I will never buy another disposable battery again.

NOTE: THE SANYO CHARGER CHARGES AAA BATTERIES TOO!!! So I fell it beats Apples charge it that respect too. So Apples unit is not better even though it looks nicer.

One thing I've come to consider is that since the Apple charger is so much nicer you might want to drop the $30 and buy that one (yes for that price you will get to less AA batteries) but the charger is so much nicer in my opinion. But then thereafter by all the other batteries you need here as they are the same quality (and as some reviewers have pointed out even better quality)

Thanks for reading