Breaking the cycle of “Mobile Immobility”

Mobility has become synonymous with our modern and fast-paced lives. Part of this new reality includes taking our smartphones and laptops everywhere we go – after all, these devices were invented to improve our mobile lifestyles.

 In 1981 the first laptop, the Osborne 1, was launched. The size of a typewriter, it amazed the world by making a computer fully transportable. We’ve advanced quite a bit since then – typewriters have disappeared and mobile devices like laptops, tablets and cellphones have shrunk in size and design. But what about our chargers? Unfortunately, as devices became thinner and smarter, their critically needed chargers still remained bulky and heavy.

Battery-powered devices allow us to be mobile without being tethered to wires or stuck in one location. However, battery life is often limited requiring us to carry external chargers.

Chargers consist of a charging coil, which includes a large transformer, plug and cable connection to electricity, which is usually cumbersome. This goes against the overall concept of “mobility” and our cherished lightweight and slim devices.

When we have to carry around annoying and burdensome chargers we aren't truly mobile.

In order to have a charger ready for our laptop or cellphone, we usually have to carry a bag to store it. Or we choose not to take a charger with us and risk running out of power. Another option is to buy several chargers and leave them at the office and at home. Is this the mobility we wished for? Are our devices really as mobile as we are?

While there is a trend towards faster charging, this isn't a perfect solution either. Quick charging is of course a result of our need for greater mobility. If we charge quickly, we can be connected to the wall for less time and keep about our daily activities. The problem is that the faster a charger can charge, the larger the charger needs to be to supply the power. 

Until now we’ve used fairly small 1Amp chargers. There are some chargers on the market that can charge at 4 Amps or even 8 Amps – and these are already similar to laptop chargers in size. It seems the faster we charge in order to gain mobility, we pay the price in charger size. 

I call this the ongoing cycle of “mobile immobility" – a trend with negative consequences that feeds itself. We are trying to improve the situation but are burdening ourselves in the process. The small charger is more mobile but the fast charger is larger and more cumbersome.

How can we break this cycle?

A technological solution is required to speed up charging while maintaining a small charger size. We need to gain flexibility without losing our mobility.

Kado was founded in 2016 with the vision of creating thin and compact charging solutions to solve this problem. Our technology significantly shrinks the size of chargers and makes them thinner – 5x thinner than today's standard chargers. Our unique technology enables us to produce faster chargers while actually decreasing their size.

When the thin design of our chargers matches the thinness of our mobile devices, we will be truly mobile. Our chargers are so thin you can slide them into our pocket or wallet.

When you carry a charger that is the size of 3 credit cards, you don't need to ask yourself whether or not to take your charger. There is no economic cost, it is simply there for whenever you may need it.

Kado has also developed unique methods to integrate cables directly into the charger so it can be carried comfortably. Additionally, we plan to equip our chargers with an emergency battery so even if you aren’t near an outlet, you'll be able to get a small charge until you find a plug.

I believe that Kado has a solution that can finally break the ongoing cycle of mobile immobility. We'll increase charging speed while keeping chargers super compact and thin so you can take them anywhere. We'll get to the point where we'll be able to use ultra-thin phone chargers that can charge a phone in just a few minutes. This is how Kado will help users achieve true mobility.