So, you find yourself traipsing the mall, sussing out the drip on offer when oh no, your phone says it’s about to die. What with load shedding, you weren’t able to charge it up before you left home. Do you head back home and potentially miss out on some schweet deals? Adoozy says no. Take one of their power banks, for free (kinda).
The company recently launched the first power bank rental network in the country. Possibly in the world. It seems like an odd thing to rent out. The company aims to combine the convenience of charging while on the go with affordability and ease of use. Provided you live in Joburg, Cape Town, or Durban, anyway.
That’s quite Adoozy (sorry)
If this concept tickles your fancy, you’ll first need to download the app from the Play Store or App Store. Next, sign up. You’ll need to provide some personal information, like your ID number, bank details, and a fingerprint. Yes, there’s a charge for it. Only there isn’t.
To get a power bank, you’ll need to make your way to an Adoozy Power Tower. When you find one (the app will tell you where they are), you slip your hand through a scanner that’ll read your fingerprints and give you a power bank. In what the company says is a market first, Adoozy’s towers feature tech that’ll scan your fingerprints contactlessly. This is the first we’re hearing about this technology and, according to the company, the first time customers use biometrics to access products.
Did we mention it’s free?
It’s free. Although free in this case means you don’t have to pay every time you grab a power bank. There’s an initial sign-up fee of R40. Then, you won’t be charged for the power bank if you return it within 48 hours. If you’re late, you’ll have to cough up an extra R18. We suspect this might be where they plan to make their cash because that is a small price to pay when you feel like procrastinating.
Read More: The five highest capacity power banks you can buy in (or from) South Africa today
The power banks in question aren’t anything fancy. They offer 5,000mAh of charge, allow for 12W charging and support Apple Lightning, USB-C, and the older USB-Micro outputs. As far as smartphones go these days, that 5,000mAh juice will get you just a single charge and some change, with the 12W output taking a bit of time. It’s no wonder they give you 48 hours to return them. Still, during load shedding they could be a life-saver.
Adoozy’s towers can only be found in locations in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban for now but plans for expansion are in the works. You can use the app to point you in the direction of the nearest one. Those expansion plans also include a partnership with Game Stores.
“Adoozy Power Towers gives (sic) our customers a convenient and safe charging station. Our partnership with Adoozy was made specifically with our shoppers in mind and how we can enhance their experience in our stores,” said Duval van Rhyn, vice president of operations at Game Stores.
