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As many of us here at Appletell can attest to, Apple’s wireless peripherals (keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and counting) eat through those AA batteries like nobody’s business. The one thing about Apple is that it does not pass up the opportunity to generate more revenue—it’s not the most valuable tech company for no reason, you know. And perhaps those two things together explain the announcement of Apple’s own rechargeable batteries and wall outlet charger.

Perhaps lost in its bigger product updates (iMac, Mac Pro, Magic Trackpad) is this curious gem. For $29, fanboys one can save a trip by simply buying everything they need at the Apple Store itself.  In the package comes a wall outlet charger and six NiMH batteries.  Why would you pick the Apple branded recharger over anything else?  Apple says that, “... based on designed cycle life and anticipated user scenario,” the batteries have a ten year service life, and if left to sit in a drawer for a year, will retain 80 percent of their original charge.  Additionally, the charger is optimized for the batteries, so charging is probably done at an optimal rate.  The charger also reduces its power consumption to 30 milliwatts (mW) after batteries are done charging, as opposed to (what Apple says is) the industry standard of 315 mW.  No more, “vampire draw,” as Apple cutely puts it.

But of course, the best selling point is probably the most illogical one: they just look so damn good.

The charger and six batteries are available now.

Product [Apple Rechargeable Batteries]