The problem with extended battery packs is not the time it takes to charge up your phone, but the time they take to charge themselves. The Pronto is a Kickstarter project that aims to solve that issue, and it’s tackling it with the force usually displayed by a heavyweight linebacker. After being plugged into a wall socket for just five minutes, the Pronto will have enough stored power to recharge your iPhone 5’s battery. Give it an hour, and you’ll get nine full recharges.
Practicality and convenience is dramatically improved, because there’s no longer any need to recharge the battery pack overnight – and if you forget, it’s useless – it can be charged up while you have breakfast, and still be of use during the day. The Pronto pack isn’t some gigantic monstrosity either; its footprint isn’t much larger than your phone. Obviously, with all that battery power inside, the Pronto isn’t light, with the larger model weighing just over 520 grams, or nearly five times your iPhone. The casing is made from aluminum, and there’s a carry strap attached.
How does the Pronto manage to store so much energy so quickly? It uses lithium polymer battery cells, and a custom designed circuit board which lets the dedicated wall charger operate at maximum capacity. Additionally, the clever tech makes sure the USB connection delivers the maximum amount of power to your phone while it’s plugged in, so it’s ready in the fastest time possible.
There are two versions of the Pronto available. The Pronto 12 is the version capable of charging your phone nine times after an hour charging itself, and has a 13,500mAh battery inside. The case can also take a 12v adapter, so it’ll charge up other electronic devices, too. If all that sounds like overkill for your needs, the smaller Pronto 5 will still deliver three recharges after the same one hour charge, and houses a 4500mAh battery. While it doesn’t have a 12v socket, it is half the weight of the Pronto 12.
The Pronto Kickstarter campaign is underway now, and the cheapest Early Bird offers have already been snapped up. At the time of writing, a Pronto 5 is yours for $70, while the Pronto 12 will require a $110 contribution. Delivery is staggered, depending on how early you place an order, and the packs will be shipped between March and June 2015. International backers will need to add a hefty $35 for postage.
