EE giving all customers portable chargers they can refuel in stores

Carriers are forever looking at new ways to incentivise customers -- whether it be with a subscription to this, or discounts on that, and so on -- but we can't recall any perk that's quite as practical as the one EE's introducing shortly. (Unless you're running an ancient Nokia, that is.) In the "coming weeks," EE's launching a scheme whereby any customer can walk into a store and pick up a free portable smartphone charger. The EE-branded "Power Bar" hosts a 2,600mAh battery, which'll be roughly enough for one full charge of your phone. What's more, if you find yourself carrying around a dead one, you can walk into any EE shop and switch it out for a fully charged replacement at no cost (you can refuel it yourself at home, of course). Best of all, there's a satisfying amount of small print attached to this offer.

All mobile and/or broadband customers are eligible for a free Power Bar, though pay-as-you-goers will need to have been with EE for at least three months. If we're being pedantic, it's not technically free, as you'll need to send a 35p text to receive the code that'll get you a Power Bar at an EE store (and... breathe). Still, you can't argue with the price. And even if you're not an EE customer, you can still buy one of the portable chargers for £20. That's a lot of money for a 2,600mAh battery, but for some smartphone addicts, free refills might just be enough to condone the mark-up. Oh, and did we mention: it's also an LED torch.

Update: EE says its portable batteries are now available in store: