USBCELL AA Rechargable Battery - 2 Cell Pack - MXAA02

by USBCELL

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000LV8YKQ
• Item model number: MXAA02
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,632 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

USBCELL AA Rechargeable Batteries work just like normal rechargeable batteries--but simply pop off the lid to recharge by any powered USB Port. Ideal for use with wireless mice, keyboards, game controllers, and other household products with no need to carry or find a separate charger. Easily rechargeable on the go, in the office or at home. USBCELLs can be charged hundreds of times saving you money and helping reduce environmental waste. USBCELLs are NiMH 1.2v batteries with 1300mAh capacity.

The USBCELL has been designed for real-world ease of use. By opening the cap and plugging into any powered USB port, you can recharge pretty much anywhere there's a USB socket. By making it easier to recharge batteries we can help the environment: easier recharging means more frequent use, which means fewer disposable batteries get made and thrown away. In a powered USB socket, USBCELL should take about 5 hours to charge to over 90% of capacity, sooner if the battery was only partly depleted. Thanks to the intelligent charging circuitry of USBCELL, it's OK to "top up" or just partially charge USBCELL if you need the power in a hurry; NiMh batteries aren't affected by partial charging or 'memory' problems, unlike Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries. As with most rechargeable NiMH batteries, you may find that maximum capacity is reached only after a few full charge and discharge cycles.

Charge your USBCELLs using your laptop or desktop PC...

USBCELLs can be used in any electronic device that takes AA batteries: from MP3 players and noise-canceling headphones, to wireless gaming controllers, to remotes, digital cameras, flashlights and more. The USBCELL can help protect the environment (and save you money) by reducing the amount of waste batteries, and both the packaging and the USBCELL itself can be recycled.. If used properly, you should be able to recharge a USBCELL about 500 times before they lose a significant amount of their capacity. And not only can USBCELLs be charged by your powered USB ports, they can also be charged in a standard approved 250 mAh recharger. With more choices for power sources, you need never be without AA power readily at hand ever again.

...then use them in your portable electronics like regular batteries.

Product Description

USBCELL AA Rechargeable batteries - work just like normal rechargeable batteries, but simply pop off the lid to recharge by any powered USB Port. Ideal for use with wireless mice, keyboards, games controllers, household products - in over 2 billion free USB ports. No need to carry or find a separate charger. Easy recharge on the go, in the office or at home. USBCELLs can be charged hundreds of times, saving you money, and helping reduce environmental waste. USBCELLs are NiMH batteries, 1.2v 1300mah capacity. Product information, support and recycling advice available at usbcell.com/support.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not so great, April 17, 2008

By 

Elias Friedman "Elipongo" (Ellington, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: USBCELL AA Rechargable Battery - 2 Cell Pack - MXAA02 (Electronics)

I picked these up after I saw them reviewed on Kool Tools. They worked okay for a while- they obviously have a lower run time then normal batteries because there's less actual battery there, but I figured that was offset by the convenience of being able to charge them off of my laptop computer. However, after only about a month's daily use in my Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, the USB connectors on several of the batteries started to separate and stay stuck in my computer's USB ports when the rest of the battery was removed. I had to pry them out with needle-nose pliers. Given the risk of damaging a computer for a simple battery, I can't recommend this product.

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ingenious product - just not very practical, June 4, 2008

By 

NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: USBCELL AA Rechargable Battery - 2 Cell Pack - MXAA02 (Electronics)

This product (USBCELL) is based on a great idea - the kind of idea that makes you smack your forehead and exclaim "Why didn't *I* think of that!" Basically you take a '3/4 AA' NiMH cell, and attach an USB-powered charger on top of it. Now you've got a rechargeable AA battery that can be charged from any USB port. So you'll never be caught without a battery charger - as long as there is a computer nearby.

Great idea aside, there are practical limitations for this USBCELL:
- It is very expensive (about 4 times the cost of a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its capacity is only 1300mAh (compared to 2000-2700mAh for a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its charging time is relatively long (5 hours to charge to 90%)

The product description claims that you can also recharge the USBCELL in a "standard approved 250 mAh recharger". But make sure that the charger is a 'smart' one. A timer-based 'dumb' charger will badly overcharge the USBCELL, because it treats all cells as having a typical capacity of 2500mAh.

It is true that you don't need to buy a separate charger for the USBCELL. But the economy of scale is stacked against it in any demanding appliances such as digital camera. For the price of just two USBCELL, you can buy a good charger+battery package (such as the Sanyo USB Charger and Sanyo Travel Charger). This way, you get much greater battery capacity and shorter charging time. For anything that requires more than two AA cells, the USBCELL solution becomes even less cost-effective.

It is also true that using USBCELL instead of disposable alkaline cells can reduce your 'carbon footprint' on this planet. But the same can be said for any rechargeable batteries. Compared to a typical AA NiMH cell, the USBCELL requires more energy to produce, and has a shorter lifespan (lower capacity means it has to be recharged more often). Therefore it generates more waste in the end.

Of course, for certain niche applications (such as wireless mouse) the USBCELL is still a good option. At least it looks cool, and makes a great conversation piece.

208 of 237 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars WARNING, March 8, 2007

By 

zphage - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: USBCELL AA Rechargable Battery - 2 Cell Pack - MXAA02 (Electronics)

Wow. They keep knocking my review off, but I think people should know these may not be compatible with HP products with ASUS motherboards.

These pull alot of power through your system, and because of anomaly that HP, ASUS, and Moixa acknowledge exists, you run the risk of burning out your motherboard. I know from experience I have gone through a whole odyssey of repairing my motherboard after one use. Weigh it carefully if the $15-$20 for the batteries is worth a $400-$500 repair.