Meet my friend Andru, the cutest USB charger in the world
Christmas has come and gone and if you have friends or family in other cities/states/countries, you’ve probably received a few gifts after the fact. This was the case for me when a good friend of mine was kind enough to send me the single greatest gift ever. His name is Andru and a few days ago he showed up on my doorstep. Let me introduce you to him.
Andru is a universal USB charger in the shape of everyone’s favorite mascot, Android’s “Bugdroid.” As an Android fanboy, you probably can’t get enough of this little guy and whether he’s on your shirt, car, or phone. A USB charger is the final component to complete and total Android fandom.
Build quality
Now, before you write off Andru as some cheaply manufactured, 3rd rate charger, upon closer inspection you’ll find that Andru is as premium a USB charger as money can buy. The soft touch finish gives Andru a smooth feel and antennae are made of a flexible rubber. Andru’s Ample 1A output means there’s enough output here for a wide variety of devices. Even the USB cable itself was given special attention, constructed with a strong rubber material and accented with matching colored tips. As a bonus, his light up eyes make a great night light. I’d dare you to find something of this quality outside of an official OEM charger.
Bonus: He’s alive
The best part about Andru is he doubles as an actual Android figurine (although not for children). His arms move, and matching stand allow him to be displayed on your desk. This makes Andru more than just a USB charger — he’s your smartphone’s best friend. Andru’s maker, Gen, has made Andru available in 3 colors: classic green, black with red eyes (perfect for Droid devices), and albino white (compliments a white Samsung device perfectly).
Value
There’s no question: at $25 Andru is definitely more expensive than your run of the mill generic USB charger. But that makes sense with the amount of thought and attention to detail put into Andru. Then again, it’s nothing more than you’d pay for an official OEM USB charger from your phone’s manufacturer. When it comes to buying for myself, the frugal buyer in me would more than likely go with some cheapy $.99 cent charger on eBay. But as a gift, therein lies the difference. As a gift, I wouldn’t think twice about buying one of these for an Android friend. And I know, for a fact, they’d love it.
There is a slight downside to consider when adopting an Andru. Bigger devices like the Galaxy Note 2 require a bit more output from a charger (up to 2A). This means Andru could take a little longer to charge larger devices than when using a stock OEM charger. Still, when it comes to battery health, a slower charge could keep your phone holding a charge for longer over time.
If you’d like to buy Andru either for yourself or a loved one, all colors are available via the links below.
