Solar Phone Chargers Buying Guide:
Before we get into the juicy details lets first answer the most basic question:
How will a solar cell charge my phone? The answer is complicated but yet very simple at the same time. The way solar in general works and how it will charge your phone is by converting the suns energy into electricity. This electricity is then used to charge your cell phone or other electronic devices. This power can be saved in a back up battery or used to directly run or charge your phone.
Before purchasing a solar phone charger there are a few basic questions that need to be answered so you can choose a solar charger that is compatible with your phone and will work in your specific application. Here we go...
First identify which brand and model cell phone you have.
This should be fairly easy and can be found directly on your phone, its battery, or in the owners manual.
Now let’s identify how you currently charge your cell phone so we can find a solar phone charger that will be compatible. Typically cell phones are charged in 3 ways; 1. With an AC wall plug adapter. 2. With a 12 Volt CLA (car lighter adapter) used to charge your phone while traveling. 3. From a USB port in your computer or laptop.
Solar phone chargers at Earthtech Products include all or some variation of all of the above charging methods so you can easily connect your phone to your solar charger and start charging. It’s simple!
I have an AC wall plug adapter that I use to charge my phone at home.Ok. In this instance your new solar phone charger will take the place of the AC power coming from your home but how will you connect the solar charger to your phone? Now that you have identified what model and brand phone you have half the work is done. In this example I will assume you have an iphone 4 that uses a micro-usb cord to connect to your phone. Now you need to find a solar charger that comes with a micro-usb charging cable. While shopping our phone chargers this information will be available in the product details, specifications, or a PDF attachment called "compatibility." Most of today’s newest smart phones all use a micro-usb charging cord like the iphone 4, droid, EVO HTC, blackberry, and other android phones. So if you are looking for solar chargers for iphone, iphone 4, or any other 2010 smart phone chances are it uses this micro-usb which most of our solar phone charge kits will include. Mission accomplished!
If you are not looking for a solar charger for iphone or another new smart phone lets go back to the model and brand of cell phone you own. Let’s say you have the LG Chocolate instead. In this case you will need a solar phone charger that comes with either the specific LG Chocolate charging cable or a 12V CLA (car lighter adapter. *We will discuss this in more detail later) In this case you will need a solar phone charging kit that comes with various adapters like the Power Monkey, K3 Solar & wind Charger, or the Voltaic Amp. These kits come with many adapters that are compatible with most cell phones. Just check the compatibility in the product detail pages or call us up and we will check it for you!
I use a 12 Volt car lighter adapter to charge my phone while traveling.
In this case you will need to select a solar phone charger that includes a female car lighter adapter. The female end will accept the male end that you already have and connect your phone to the solar charger. Products like Sunlinq and Powerfilm all come with an universal 12V CLA.
*A 12 Volt Car lighter adapter is also a solution for a customer who cannot find a solar charger that is compatible with their model cell phone. In this case you can simply purchase the 12v car charger cable from your cell phone provider or local electronics store and use this new cable to connect to an Earthtech Products cell phone charger that includes the 12V CLA. Most phones come with this adapter right out of the box. Mission accomplished!
Now that we know what phone you have and what kind of charging cable you need you’re ready to start shopping! Feel free to contact us via our live chat feature, email, or simply give us a call at 1-877-548-3387. Our solar experts are standing by!
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