“He stood me up. He switched off his phone,” were the words of Angela Muia, after a failed blind date with a man she had ‘met’ on social media.
After waiting for two hours in what she termed as ‘benefit of doubt’ she decided to board a Buru Buru matatu back home. While in the matatu her phone rings and it’s the dude calling her. With blaring music in the matatu, she puts the phone on loudspeaker and I can hear the conversation. “Sorry my phone died,” are the words the guy utters. What if this guy had a portable phone recharger?
The emergence of phone rechargers commonly referred to as power banks, has helped people, especially businessmen. Even when one is caught in the Nairobi traffic gridlock you can keep tabs with what is happening without worries that your phone battery may dry up.
“My power bank has really solved almost all my problems. First I don’t miss any business meeting because these smartphones cannot store power for long,” says Mr James Sidigu, a director at Equifax Enterprises, a logistics company.
Even with increased battery lives for phones, phone usage is still consuming more battery power. “Battery life remains an issue with smartphones. Long hours, faster microprocessors and brighter screens call for increased battery capacity. Thank God these power bank companies have come to our rescue,” adds Mr Sidigu.
“The business community is benefitting from this initiative. I can plan my day and wait for goods at the port without worries of my phone will die.”
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