4 Fancy Cell Phone Chargers

If you’re glued to your smartphone, you’re probably used to your gadget running out of juice at an inopportune time. And while mobile phones always come with their own chargers, battery and electronics companies are betting that they might not be enough.

Battery makers Energizer (Stock Quote: ENR) and Duracell (Stock Quote: PG), solar-powered device maker Powertraveller and other companies make their own charging devices to power phones on the go, charge them wirelessly or without access to a wall outlet at all.

And while they may not be all the rage yet, according to Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobile Devices Technology and Trends group, early adopters have been excited about these gadgets and they could prove useful for even everyday tech users as well.

Here’s a look at some of the more popular aftermarket phone chargers out there.

The Duracell myGrid

Pros: In theory, all you do is attach a Power Sleeve or Power Clip to your phone’s power outlet, set it down onto the myGrid mat, and it will charge wirelessly. You can charge up to four devices on the myGrid and they charge just as fast as they would with standard chargers, according to Duracell.

Cons: In practice, if you have a Blackberry, the Power Clip may need to be attached upside down because of your plug orientation, which means you’ll end up having to put your phone face-down on the mat to let it charge.