USBcell rechargeable batteries can be used in normal battery applications and recharged simply by plugging into a USB port of a computer. It sounds great and seems to be very useful.

…But look at this photo to see what we actually lose: Battery life! Because of the space the USB connectors take, the battery cells are actually smaller than the standard size. This results in a capacity of only 1200mAh. There are AA sized rechargeable batteries with capacities of up to 2700 mAh or even 3000 mAh which you can recharge with an inexpensive, stand-alone USB battery charger.

We would definitely prefer carrying a small USB charger and high capacity batteries to using a cool-looking but inefficient USBcell. These can still be generously offered as gift to your “non-poweruser” colleagues.