According to a Samsung study which – I’m going to say right out of the gate – is a bit weird, 35 percent of Europeans would rather choose to have a fully recharged battery on their phones instead of receiving cash from someone, if given the option. Likewise, the study suggests that Wireless PowerShare is more than just a way to exchange electrical current between devices. It paints the feature sort of like a gauge that reveals the true nature of your relationships with fellow human beings. In Samsung’s eyes, the study reveals that battery life has become a form of currency (or emotional currency), which would make Wireless PowerShare a human bonding mechanism.
The study reveals that only 14 percent of Europeans are willing to share their battery juice with a stranger. On the other hand, 39 percent of participants would share their battery life with colleagues, while 72 percent would use Wireless PowerShare to help a family member. But it gets weirder.
7 percent chance to get a date, thanks to Wireless PowerShare…
According to Samsung Germany, 62 percent of Europeans would be willing to buy coffee for a stranger as a gesture of gratitude for some battery life, but 7 percent would go as far as going out on a date with a complete stranger in exchange for some Wireless PowerShare action. The study was conducted with the help of 6,500 participants.
Given these results, Samsung Germany claims that sharing your battery can even be considered a “part of modern dating” and that it can “strengthen a romantic connection.” This is because 21 percent of participants would appreciate it very much if their dates would be willing to share their batteries with them. Meanwhile, 76 percent would be unwilling to share their smartphone’s battery life on the first date, waiting – on average – for the third date before they would make this step.
This whole thing makes me wonder: if you do ask for battery life on your first night out, would that be considered as rude as asking your partner to sleep over on your first date? I’m also wondering if a friendship or marriage could be broken due to PowerShare-related misunderstandings. What if your spouse refuses to share battery life with you? Would it indicate that she or he no longer loves you?
I’m being a bit facetious here, obviously. Nevertheless, this whole thing sounds pretty darn strange to me. Looking at the whole picture, it resembles some kind of weird social experiment in which Samsung ditches removable batteries to create some form of artificial demand and then implements Wireless PowerShare as a way to study the behavior of humans equipped with smartphones. Evidently, I don’t believe this was planned by Samsung from the beginning, so don't be sending any tinfoil hats my way, but I can’t help but make the analogy.
In closing, if you live in Europe or you’re planning a trip there, remember to always have a fully-charged battery. You might be lucky enough to score a date in exchange for some battery life! You have around 7 percent chances of this happening, judging by Samsung’s study. Be prepared and feel free to check this tutorial on how to use Wireless PowerShare.
