New Invention Relieves Phone Battery Dilemma

A new direct current battery charger developed by North Korean technicians for use with cell phones is said to be gaining in popularity in the country. Last year, the number of officially registered cell phones in North Korea exceeded 1.5 million; however, electricity supply issues persist, and this has inspired the new invention.

The charger that comes packaged with new cell phones is a simple device that connects to a 220V domestic electricity supply, but in a country where homes may receive little or no electricity for three or four days at a time in some areas, these chargers can sometimes be of little practical use.

Therefore, with demand for an alternative means of charging phone batteries high and rising, cell phone importers reportedly asked North Korean electrical technicians to create a way to use phones via Chinese-made 12V household and/or car batteries. The resultant product, which came out at the end of last year, is now selling like hot cakes in North Korean markets.

A source from Chongjin in North Hamkyung Province told the story to Daily NK today, explaining, “There is this new DC cell phone charger on the market that runs off a 12V ‘Wangta’ battery imported from China.” According to the source, most families in the city own at least one, and often more, of the 12V household or car batteries. If the new charger is connected to such a battery for around two hours, it can run a phone for a day, he explained.

“This cell phone charger is roughly the size of a cigarette packet, and has become an essential accessory carried everywhere by cell phone owners,” the source asserted. “It allows you to use your phone wherever and whenever, and its popularity is through the roof.”

The new product is currently selling for approximately 30,000 North Korean Won in the market.