It is reported that several shared portable-charger companies have increased the price of their service in China, which even up to 700% over the previous. Many people complain that it is too expensive.
According to the reports, in most case, the price of a shared charger is 3-5 yuan per hour without notice, while it was only ￥1 before. It costs even 8 yuan per hour in some places such as shopping malls and scenic spots!
Due to the slow charging rate, it takes about 2 hours for users to fully charge the battery of their smartphones, which means that now you need to pay 10 yuan or more to fill up your dead phone each time.
10 yuan doesn’t seem like a lot, but what if you rent the chargers ten times or twenty times?
As people’s increasing obsession with mobile devices and the great convenience of shared portable chargers, it seems that the price rise won’t affect the business.
But the complaints never stop. Consumers say that it is too expensive and unacceptable. Agencies also complain that they are bearing too much cost now.
There is no doubt that portable charger sharing is a very flexible, affordable, and accessible power bank rental service. It is still a good choice for you when in need to power up your smartphone in some cases.
The most common brands in China are Jiedian (街电), Xiaodian (小电), Guaishou (怪兽), and Laidian (来电). In case you need to rent a charger, we are going to show you how to use the service:
Use WeChat or Alipay to scan the QR code on any charger station. No security deposit required.
You can also search the brand name to find the startup’s nearby charging station.
Choose the type of cables which suits your device. Some batteries come attached with Micro USB, USB Type-C and Apple Lightning.
Then the fully charged portable battery will unlock and pop out of the station for you to take.
Once you have finished using it, you can return the battery to any station of the same brand. The payment will be taken automatically.
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