It's likely an alternative to blik or internal revolut/n26/cashapp transfers. And in that regard it's an improvement because of its openness. But privacy is not one of the reasons to use it.
There used to be external chargers. I'm not speaking Nokia times, I had a Xiaomi phablet with Android 5 or 6 with one of these. Just a frame for the battery with an USB input.
No paywall, same topic: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-proposes-e2-package-fee-to-tackle-flood-of-chinese-low-cost-goods/