With today’s technologies and longer battery life, do we really need to carry around an extra gadget?

An external battery charger has pretty much become an essential device for anyone who uses their smartphone to do just about everything in their lives, from communication – voice and text – to surfing the internet, watching videos, keeping a schedule, and so on.

But wouldn’t it be great if you could use a mobile device that didn’t need to be continually charged?

Sure it would. Unfortunately, that technology doesn’t exist, just yet. Is it possible to make your mobile device battery last longer? Sure it is. If you have one of the newest laptops, you could technically get up to 10 hours out of it. If you keep all of the extra features turned off on your smartphone and use it only when necessary, then you’ll certainly be able to get through a full day without running out of charge. But what about when you have a device that you actually want to use to its fullest extent? When you need to make a lot of calls, use a lot of apps, or just don’t want to have to worry about running out of power, an external battery charger really is your top choice.

While external battery charger devices may not be needed in the future, that tech is still years away.

Recharging on the go really requires you to have a portable battery pack. There have been some methods that have been identified by scientists that may – or may not – go somewhere in the future, but until they’re here, a slim, powerful gadget to recharge your smartphone, tablet, camera, or even smartwatch is exactly the solution that you need.

Keep in mind that even if your entire smartphone case was covered in solar panels, it would only charge when in direct sunlight and you’d need to leave it there for four hours (assuming conditions were ideal). If you had to actually use your device, that would greatly lengthen that time. Kinetic charging, wireless charging, sound based recharging and other technologies are also limited or still in their theoretical forms.

If you have been holding out and waiting for your next smartphone purchase, assuming that the charge will be so much better that you won’t need to get an external battery charger, then you may want to think again. These recharging gadgets are about to become your best friend, and in all likelihood, the situation will stay that way for several more years.