Apple's Innovative New… Battery Charger?

Apple unleashed a range of new and updated products earlier today — everything from new Mac Pros to new iMacs to a new Magic Trackpad device. Lost in the shuffle was a tiny new product Apple also unveiled: the Apple Battery Charger.

But just because it’s not as big or a pricey as Apple’s other new toys, don’t think Apple loves it any less. In fact, when I spoke to Apple today about their new products, they made sure to dedicate some time to talking all about this new battery charger.

Apple says it’s proud of its new “sleek and very compact” battery charger because they managed to take a product that other companies have been doing for a while and perfect it. “The honest truth is that most [manufacturers] don’t care about these,” an Apple representative told me. This allowed Apple to come in and create a product that performs ten times better than the industry average, they say. What they mean by this is that their battery charger uses only 30 milliwatts when it completes a charge cycle thanks to sensors — many other draw 300 or more milliwatts in the same setting. “We’ve engineering these chargers to have the lowest power vampire draw of any AA chargers,” Apple says.

Vampire draw. Nice.

Apple is selling this charger for $29 but that comes with 6 rechargeable AA NiMH batteries. “These are very long shelf-life batteries,” I was told. Apple’s website claim they can last up to 10 years. “No more late night trips to Walgreens,” an Apple representative joked.

So why six? Apple envisions people using two of them in their wireless keyboards, two in their Magic Mouse or new Magic Trackpad, and then two that will remain in the charger in case the others run out.

No word on the margins Apple is seeing on these bad boys.

More: Apple’s Magic Trackpad Signals The End Of The Mouse Era