This Samsung device can charge and disinfect your smartphone

Ever since COVID-19 started spreading, a lot of focus has been on personal hygiene, especially hand-washing, to keep all dangerous germs and viruses (including the one causing the disease) at bay.

Owing to this shift, a number of people have also started cleaning their phones, which are used several times a day and capable of carrying 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

Given that dirty phones increase the risk of contracting infections, including COVID-19, Samsung is helping with the sanitization efforts through its all-new UV sterilizer.

The device is a portable, compact box that can hold all your daily-use items - from phones to earbuds to sunglasses - and sanitize them from top to bottom using dual UV lights.

Samsung says tests have shown that the device can 'banish' up to 99% of bacteria and germs, including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans.

This should also include the novel coronavirus, as it is well established that UV light can kill other types of coronaviruses. But, Samsung did not mention that in the marketing material for this product.

The new UV Sterilizer works at the touch of a button and can disinfect all your gadgets and lifestyle accessories in a matter of 10 minutes, per Samsung.

Also, once these 10 minutes are up, the UV disinfection process of the box automatically comes to a halt, meaning you do not have to worry about shutting it down after placing your phone inside.

While disinfecting, the UV Sterilizer also charges your phone wirelessly.

Samsung says it supports all Qi wireless charging-compatible devices with screen size going up to 7 inches.

The wireless charging does not stop once the disinfection ends, so leaving your phone in there for an hour or so will give you a completely charged and disinfected device for use.