I accidentally discovered the UNiROSS Hybrio earlier this afternoon after one of the sales staff at the customer service deficient CDR-King in SM Sucat drew my ire by telling me in a condescending manner that they didn't have any more stock of their self-branded Eneloop-type AA rechargeable battery. Needless to say, customer service at that branch really sucks. They ask you to fall in line, but there really isn't any system to entertain clients, and a closer look at the staff will show you that they're taking their time despite all the people patiently or impatiently queued.I decided to check out Ace Hardware at the ground floor. In stark contrast with CD-R King's, customer service at all the Ace Hardware stores that I've been to is way much better. I found my way to the battery display shelf, which was locked to prevent shoplifting. I then asked the sales guy if they sold any Eneloops and if not, whether they had a battery that uses similar technology.
Lucky for me, Ace Hardware carried one such brand -- the UniROSS Hybrio. It was cheaper -- 495 pesos for a pack of four compared to the more expensive Eneloops, which sold for 680 pesos (4 batteries) or even more, depending on which store you go to. I was told that the batteries that came in packs of 2's were only rated at 1900 mAh while those that came in packs of 4's were 2100 mAh. I opted for the latter.
Lucky for me, Ace Hardware carried one such brand -- the UniROSS Hybrio. It was cheaper -- 495 pesos for a pack of four compared to the more expensive Eneloops, which sold for 680 pesos (4 batteries) or even more, depending on which store you go to. I was told that the batteries that came in packs of 2's were only rated at 1900 mAh while those that came in packs of 4's were 2100 mAh. I opted for the latter.
As you most likely already know, the Eneloop is a technology that uses an optimized separator and electrolyte to drastically reduce self-discharge rates. Currently, there are three manufacturers of these batteries; a couple of these manufacturers sell it to companies who brand it as their own. Anyway, these batteries are, for me, the way to go, but I really believe that I should also go get myself a set of four Ansmann batteries and a four-hour charger to go along with it.
Here is a shootout that I think you'll find interesting:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1023&message=24756026
You might also want to check this out:
http://www.users.on.net/~mhains/Reviews.html
