CES is typically the one time of year where there’s a little something for everyone, including things you never even knew you needed. Before today I never knew I needed an invisible, wireless smartphone charger, but now I’ve seen the Kew Labs UTS-1.
When Qi Wireless charging finally appeared on phones, there were (at least initially) a limited number of available chargers. That’s changed. There are more offerings than ever, and many of them deliver a full charge in far less time than ever. Then there is the SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger Sync. It’s a wireless charger and a solid-state backup device.
You’ll likely get at least one gift this holiday season that needs to be charged. Unfortunately, companies like Apple no longer include wall adapters with their phones. Thankfully, Aukey offers a range of smart, technologically advanced charging solutions. You can see all their offerings here. First, though, take a look at the four offerings they sent us to check out.
A little over a year ago, Shark Tank profiled an innovative wireless charging technology. The pitchers said they had thousands of pre-orders from one company. I immediately KNEW it must be Nomad. I was right, and Aira’s FreePower tech is in the new Nomad Base Station Pro Full-Surface Wireless Charger. It is a game-changer.
Most flagship phones offer wireless charging, which is hugely convenient when you want to set your phone down for a top-off. We’ve reviewed plenty of upright wireless charging bases, which are great for keeping at your desk, but the Pitaka Air Tray serves a dual purpose that makes it perfect for placing on a desk, bedside table, or in your home’s entryway.
It should be no surprise that Pitaka makes both Judie’s and my smartphone cases of choice. The company also makes great chargers and, as the title of this review says, their new Pitaka Air Omni 6-in-1 Charging Solution is something special. It’s currently available for backing on Kickstarter; I have an early version and love it.
Nomad makes some of the best wireless charging solutions available. I loved the original Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition (read my review) but missed the rear charging ports found on other Base Station models. Nomad just addressed that and just released a new version with ports galore; now you can charge pretty much all your devices at once.
A few weeks ago, I shared the news that our friends at Nomad had released a new wireless charging stand. The Nomad Base Station Stand is a premium wireless charger whose thoughtful design and premium features make it stand out in an ever-more crowded market. Now that I have one in and I can share some of my personal impressions.
Last year it seemed as if Nomad was releasing a new product every week or two. In fact, over the last two or three years, the company’s catalog has exploded in size with amazing, premium mobile device accessories. Their first new release of 2020 is the Nomad Base Station Stand; it looks great and is definitely worth checking out.
If you happen to have an Apple Watch and a smartphone, you know one of the biggest issues is having to use multiple cables and setups to get them both to charge simultaneously. Now you can do that with the Kanex GoPower Watch Stand with Wireless Charging Base; it promises to be the solution to cables lying around your nightstand.
Pitaka makes some of the best smartphone cases available; I use their MagEZ Case daily (read our review) as well as the Pitaka MagEZ Mount QI car charger (read our review), and both are fantastic. Now I’m using the Pitaka MagEZ Juice 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Power Bank Dock. It’s a wireless desk charger and Qi-enabled portable external battery in one.
My new lease vehicle has Qi wireless charging built into the console; it works fine but requires the phone to be hidden away in the center console. There are, however, times when I need my phone within view for navigation, and there’s no better way to do that than with the new $49.99 Pitaka MagEZ Mount Qi Magnetic Car Mount Charger.
Raina finally updated to an iPhone 8. She wasn’t initially interested in its wireless charging, but after I put a wireless charging pad in her home office she changed her mind. Now she’s a fan, so I got her a myCharge 10K. We looked at this affordable wireless battery pack some time ago; it’s worth a second look.
When I used to travel, I would take numerous power adapters and cables so I could make sure my gear stayed charged. I moved to carrying an adapter with multiplied inputs, but the new mophie powerstation hub has taken things to a new level. It’s great for home but awesome for travel. Here’s why.
iOttie, creators of best-selling smartphone mounts and a brand I’ve trusted for years, just announced their new iTap 2 Wireless Series of wireless charging mounts. The new iOttie iTap 2 Wireless Series uses strong magnets to keep your phone secure while built-in Qi charging keeps your phone’s battery juiced.
If you have an Android phone, you’ll generally know when fast charging is occurring because an on-screen message lets you know. On the iPhone, the only way to tell that fast wireless charging is occurring is to observe how quickly your phone charges during a time period (no, really). Apple fast wireless charging happens at 7.5W and Samsung’s happens at 10W; the Just Mobile AluBase Wireless can handle both.
If you’re planning on picking up a new pair of Airpods, be it the original Airpods, or the newly released Airpods 2, you should check out these two products from Nomad.
You can change your mindset and your workflow in numerous ways to improve productivity. Sometimes, though, having the right gear makes the biggest difference. A wireless charger is an excellent example; they’re also called “Qi chargers” because Qi is the current wireless standard.
![[FUSE]chicken Universal All-In-One Travel Charger Is Everything You Need on the Go](https://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/624211AB-93B9-43C0-9CC7-115A74849E6C-260x146.jpeg)
I have two gear pouches, a small one for every day and a large one for travel. Each carries an external battery and a wall adapter for charging. Thanks to the [FUSE]chicken Universal All-In-One Travel Charger, I can swap the two gadgets for a single one, as this is a wall adapter and a Qi charging battery.
Remember the days when ribbon cable was popular? Okay, maybe you’re too young to remember its popularity, but if you’ve cracked open a computer, you’ve likely seen flat ribbons connecting drives to the motherboard. While flat cables are still used to connect components inside certain devices, they’re no longer used externally. Cable styles have shifted along with technology, leaning toward the thin side.
Wirelessly charging your devices may seem pointless to some skeptics, especially if you have a habit of checking your phone while charging, but if you’re looking for a great way to get full battery life without wires laying around everywhere, Choetech’s PowerDual 5-Coil Dual Fast Wireless Charger may be the way to go.
