Published: 01 December 2013

Modern-day smartphones have been designed to be "smart". A smartphone is a clever gadget that is more than a phone.

You can send and receive e-mail and access the web with ease. There is even a full keyboard for easy typing. According to Business Insiders subscription research service (2013), one in every five people in the world own a smartphone. It is forecasted that there will be two smartphones for every nine people on earth, or 1,4 billion smartphones by end of 2013.

Zimbabwe's present-day mobile penetration rate stands at 98 percent, while Internet usage rate on mobile devices is at 47 percent. This year mobile networks have since embarked on a drive to improve smartphone penetration in Zimbabwe as a means to drive data usage.

The rapid increase in smartphone use is merely tied to the fact that smartphones are getting smarter and smarter with new improved features, capabilities and a seemingly endless array of Apps.  Uses of the smartphone are numerous - it is a personal communication and entertainment device (PCED), it's a mobile pocket computer (MPC), it's a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Above all, the smartphone is an invaluable tool that enables business professionals to stay connected and be productive from virtually anywhere and anytime.

In Zimbabwe, the smartphone has also become an e-learning enabler, with most Google- related searches in Zimbabwe being linked to searches related to educational information.

However, because of the growing uses of the smartphone, overheating and poor battery life are the top list of complaints about these gadgets.

Current smartphones have powerful processors running at accelerated speeds, and one's battery is bound to get used up from accessing and downloading emails, texting and instant messaging, receiving countless voice calls, surfing the web, getting directions through GPS or capturing videos or images with your camera.

But imagine spending days travelling, going camping over the weekend, or spending several hours in a waiting room, all have something in common; high odds of your smartphone battery getting flat, before you're ready to bid your gadget farewell.

Gtel has released a new portable "power bank" to mitigate against such inconveniences through the use of an on-the-go charging option. The Power bank is small at 3.9×2.5×0.8 inches in size. When used to charge gadgets, the portable power bank can add up to 160 hours of operation time to a device. There are also four layers of "smart safety protection" to help keep the device safe, since it will be presumably riding around in someone's backpack or pocket. Charging your smartphone with the Gtel Power bank is a quick and rapid activity.

Gtel's pay-off line "Everyone Connected" goes beyond the drive to equip all Zimbabweans with affordable and durable mobile devices. It also involves "Keeping Everyone Connected" for longer periods, anytime and everywhere.

We believe getting disconnected from your favourite social networks, missing an important phone call, being unable to capture special moments on camera or simply missing an important business update is simply not an option.

This year, apart from the flagship A717 Explorer model, the two phablets that were launched, Gtel also released the unique A708 Infinity Plus with an impeccable battery life and goes up to three to four days without re-charging.
- sundaymail