In a surprising move Apple has today introduced its own certified battery charger.

The new device looks like any other battery charger currently on the market, with one small difference. According to Apple, it has the lowest standby power usage value — or “vampire draw” — of any similar charger on the market.

They explain what they mean by that below.

When the Apple Battery Charger recharges your batteries, it not only maximizes battery performance and lifespan, it also conserves energy. Thanks to an intelligent power management system, the Apple Battery Charger uses less power once your batteries are fully charged, making it one of the most energy-efficient rechargeable battery solutions ever. The Apple Battery Charger can recharge one or two batteries at a time. It’s optimized for Apple-supplied batteries and it works with AA NiMH batteries from other companies, too.

Each Apple Battery Charger comes with six high-performance AA NiMH batteries: two for your keyboard, two for your mouse or trackpad, and two for charging. Unlike many other reusable batteries, these batteries have an incredibly long service life — up to 10 years.2 Which means you can finally break the cycle of buying and disposing of those toxic, single-use alkaline batteries. The batteries that come with the Apple Battery Charger kit also have an extraordinarily low self-discharge rate. Even after a year of sitting in a drawer, they still retain 80 percent of their original charge. That way you always have backup power when you need it.

In the box comes your Apple Battery charger, and six high-performance AA NiMH batteries. The Apple Battery Charger is available from today, ships in 5-7 business days and costs $29 in the US and £25 in the UK.

It’s nice – But is it needed?