Universal "hybrid" solar battery charger with internal battery for charging portable electronics
Internal battery absorbs energy from 4 hours in the wall socket or 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight
Charges iPods, cell phones, MP3 players, PDAs, game players, GPS units, or digital cameras
3 blades spread out to absorb maximum sunlight; stores power for more than 1 year
Editorial Review:
It works by absorbing power from either the wall socket or our very own Sun storing this energy within the Solio's own internal battery. Solio is the universal charger of the future because it can use free energy from the sun which is good for the environment while saving you money on electricity costs. In addition to this, Solio limits your need to purchase and carry around multiple chargers for all of your gadgets; Solio is your one stop charging solution for all of your products from cell phones and iPods, to digital cameras, game players, GPS and even Fish finders! One hour of sun will give you enough juice to play your iPod for about an hour. When fully charged your Solio can store enough power to charge a typical cell phone or an iPod Nano at least two times. Have you plugged into the Sun lately?
The Solio universal "hybrid" solar charger is powerful enough to charge all of your handheld electronic products at home or on the move. The Solio works by absorbing power from either four hours in the wall socket or 8 to 10 hours of direct sunlight, and then storing the energy within its internal battery. Once the Solio's battery is full, you can use the unit to charge your cell phone, iPod, MP3 player, PDA, game player, GPS, fish finder, or digital camera, making it a powerful all-in-one battery charger. The universal charger is also environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as the sun- based energy is completely free and creates no harmful impacts. And the design couldn't be simpler, with a fan-blade outlay that achieves maximum solar area when in use. Just spread out the blades, expose them to direct sunlight either outdoors or affixed to a window, and get ready to take your power on the road.
The black Solio charges your electronics at the same rate as a conventional charger, and stores enough juice to fully charge an average cell phone at least once or an iPod nano at least two times. In addition, the Solio can charge your electronics directly rather than relying on the built-in battery. An hour of sun, for instance, will deliver enough power for about an hour of iPod playing time, 10 minutes of cell phone talk time, or four hours of cell phone standby time. Finally, the energy in the Solio's built-in battery doesn't need to be redeemed immediately, as it stores the juice for more than a year.
To make the Solio easier to use, the device comes with a series of interchangeable tip system connectors, including connectors for Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung cell phones, along with a mini-USB tip and an interchangeable tip system cable. And travelers will love the included global wall charger, with adapters for the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. The Solio, which measures 2.5 by 1.3 by 4.7 inches (W x H x D), is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box Solio battery charger, Nokia tip, Motorola tip, Samsung tip, mini-USB tip, interchangeable tip system cable, USB cable, 12-volt universal adapter, global travel charger with adapters, window suction cup, user's manual.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Fun, but anemic:
I've had varying success with my Solio. Took me awhile to get a hang of the device's fickleness, but I'm able to successfully (albeit partially) charge my iPhone (which needs charging at least every other day). The trick is that it really takes me two full days of leaving the Solio out in the sun to get a full charge. Their site claims "Charging Solio's internal battery takes 8-10 hours of direct sunlight." I haven't found that to be the case. I really need TWO days to fully charge the device. Of... more info
research solar power before bashing:
Look, I see a lot of people out here writing crap reviews because it doesnt charge fast or anything, etc. Those people need to research solar power. If just one of the cells aren't in the right sunlight, then the power production could be cut in half. And behind windows, the solar energy getting through is much less because some rays are reflected by the glass. And in the manual, it clearly states it take 12-24 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the battery, meaning it must be aligned properly with... more info
Little panels. Moving target.:
Nothing ever charges as fast as we want it to. The Solio is no different. Point it at the sun and the little red LED on the back comes on to led you know that you're in a good position and that it is charging. The caveat is that you're aiming at a moving target. If you're not pointing directly at the sun you're still charging, just not nearly as well. The first night I had it I charged the Solio from a wall outlet then used it to top off my blackberry that night. It charged it with no issue and... more info
Do Not Buy:
The charger worked well the first time that I used it, but now the power will not stay on to charge my cell phone. The website states that this is a known problem with some motorola phones, but it also occurs with my blackberry. Totally worthless to me.
