Upp's hydrogen fuel cell charger can power your smartphone for a week

A new way of powering your smartphone has been released that can provide a week’s worth of charge using renewable energy sources.

Upp is a portable power solution utilizing hydrogen fuel cells that should charge any USB-compatible device.

Upp consists of an Upp fuel cell and Upp Cartridge, both of which are included in the starter pack for £149. Once the reusable cartridge is empty, the owner can exchange it for a replacement cartridge for just £5.95.

Upp is currently available at Apple Stores across the UK as well as online from the Upp website.

The product has been designed by Intelligent Energy, which in recent years has focused on producing hydrogen fuel cells that are small enough to charge the array of portable devices, like smartphones and tablets, which play such a key role in our daily lives. Previously, hydrogen fuel cell technology had largely been confined to the automobile industry.

Dr Henri Winand, the company’s CEO, believes that Upp could be the start of a number of new and innovative technologies that enter the consumer market.

"Upp represents the start of the next generation of energy devices, a signal to the portable electronics market that customers are ready to adopt transformative technologies", he said. "Consumers want energy independence as the demand and reliance on portable devices accelerates".

Upp could also be used to power wearable devices such as fitness bands, portable speakers or e-readers. Upp charges at the same speed as an ordinary wall socket and is safe to take on airplanes, so is suitable for keeping your mobile charged on long trips abroad.

A full Upp cartridge can provide, on average, one week of power for the user’s smartphone, equaling approximately 900 additional hours of standby, 32 hours of call time, 26 hours of video, or 40 hours of web browsing.

The product also comes with its own smartphone app, which tells the user important information, such as how much charge has been used up and the nearest location selling replacement cartridges.

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