WildCharger pricing details emerge

WildCharge has updated its website with more information about its pad-based wireless WildCharger solution. The company has revealed that adapters for the Motorola RAZR (which replaces the back cover) and the iPod nano (via a dock adapter) will set you back $34.99. The dock itself will be $59.99, meaning that it could cost you as much as $130 to wirelessly charge -- assuming you own both an iPod and a RAZR -- your phone and MP3 player. Still interested? If so, you should be able to pick up all three sometime this month.

[Thanks, David; via Slippery Brick]

[w00fd06 @ Jul 8th 2007 6:25PM]

will this work with the RAZR2?

[Joe @ Jul 9th 2007 8:54AM]

It should be the size of my desk not the size of 2 RAZRs.

[Sneakz @ Jul 8th 2007 6:26PM]

Well, the RAZR comes with a charger and I can just buy a Apple USB power adapter for $30. No way I'm buying this for $130. And one more thing, NOT EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD OWNS A FREAKIN' RAZR! So unles your going to make an adapter for every phone, this product = Failure! Dumbasses....

[Mike @ Jul 8th 2007 7:20PM]

You guys are smack-talking losers...

This is an awesome device. You can charge anything with the proper hardware on this pad using one plug and less space, that is the idea...and it's a great one.

The extra costs they are talking about is for retro-fitting non-WildCharge equipment with the proper hardware to use the pad. Of course that is going to be expensive, can you imagine retrofitting all your other devices for Bluetooth?

Soon all kinds of devices will emerge that will have a WildCharge logo stuck on the box that come from the factory with the proper hardware (like you see with Bluetooth), that will cost the same as the original devices, and that can share this pad with any WildCharge product.

It's a great product with great potential so stop being so stupid.

[Tavis Veighey @ Jul 8th 2007 7:36PM]

The adapter for the Razor is rather roundabout and troublesom. You have to replace the back plate, and then plug in a cable into the USB port on your razor. So you will have something ALWAYS plugged into the side of your razor.

And to top it off, If you got one of them Red or other special color Razors? It will stand out like a sore thumb.

[Torgo @ Jul 8th 2007 6:26PM]

Of course as soon as I get rid of my RAZR...

[Jonathan @ Jul 8th 2007 6:34PM]

So my iPhone is flash based and has a dock connector....can I use it with that so my girlfriend can charge her RAZR and Nano and I can charge my iPhone?

[James @ Jul 8th 2007 6:36PM]

they should make it usb, so you can like set it down, and have it be a universal data port.

[crazyclam @ Jul 8th 2007 6:36PM]

how is this different from regular charging? You still have to leave the phone steady on the pad.
In fact, it's even worse, because now you cannot talk on the phone while the phone is being charged.
And the worst part is, you need an EXPENSIVE adapter for every device that you have.

[Dan @ Jul 8th 2007 6:59PM]

But, to an extent, it's wireless. I'm quite sure you'll see this on Cribz every episode.

[Lazyboy @ Jul 8th 2007 7:04PM]

I pretty much felt the same, the adapters are too expensive, and the mat is too small. It looks big enough only for 2, Maybe 3 devices, and is small enough that it may as well be like attaching your phone to a dock or something.

Great technology though, when it gets to the point that I can have it be the size of my coffee table or desk and have adapters for more things, like digital cameras, and things I actually have. That would be pretty sweet, come home from work, sit on the couch and set down the phone on the coffee table and it just starts charging, without you having to think about it, unlike this thing, which is so small and sightly you have to think about where you are putting your phone.

a universal mini-usb adapter would be better, it may add a little bit to your razr, but it would work with a lot more phones, mp3 players, and cameras.

[Sam @ Jul 8th 2007 6:56PM]

Its a start. They won't sell many of these, but you have to start somewhere.

[wako @ Jul 8th 2007 7:09PM]

with the amount of attention this product got, I thought they would charge a lot more for this. However still too expensive and it doesnt even support my phone... booo!

[Jay @ Jul 8th 2007 7:30PM]

I must be the odd man out, but I think this idea is so great. I can't stand having to get on the floor to find the cord that charges my phone or my ipod or one of the other three cords plugged into a power strip. This makes it so easy and yes, I'd pay $80 for something like this.

[Jon @ Jul 8th 2007 7:59PM]

Then use a desk cradle. Like I do with my phones.

This product, while could be useful for certain appliances is really useless for phones. Like crazyclam said, you can't even use the phone while it is being charged.

[Othello @ Jul 8th 2007 8:00PM]

Here, I'll save you a hundred bucks: Don't put the charger cables on the floor. Lay it on your desk and put a paperweight on the cord, or wrap it around something.

[Urza @ Jul 8th 2007 8:20PM]

The whole idea of wireless charging like this is to save about 2 seconds of your life that you spend looking for the charger. Now that's fine and all, but how big is the iPod dock connector? Because it's either going to be so small that it's a pain to remove, or so big that I don't want it hanging off my iPod all day. And if you're removing the charging adapter every time you pick up the device, then it's a complete waste.

If it gets built-in to products, it might work. But can you imagine having a big 'ol charging dongle hanging off every device you have?

[Jacob Kennedy @ Jul 9th 2007 10:31AM]

The picture on Wildcharge's website shows the Nano adapter. It IS big, compared to the Nano. It looks about the same size as the Nano itself thus doubling the bulge in your pocket where cash once was. I was looking forward to getting one until I saw the size. Maybe once they're built-in... Great idea just way too big for the Nano.

[SamC @ Jul 8th 2007 8:26PM]

Those two products were made with style in mind. This is a stylish device. If you want to charge your treo(or whatever) with your plug in wall adapter, go ahead. If you want a futuristic product that even your rich friends will not have because it is so new, then this is for you. Its not that bad, $100 to shoot energy though the air, well worth the money. If you want to use regular old direct connecting to power your devices, you can stay in the stone ages, the rest of us are progressing forward.

[murray @ Jul 8th 2007 8:35PM]

"$100 to shoot energy though the air,"

Nah. Just through some plastic.

[joeshmoe @ Jul 8th 2007 9:18PM]

I was under the impression from previous reviews and their website that this would charge via INDUCTION not CONDUCTION.

I thought there was going to be a thin slip of material you could place inside the battery compartment that needed to touch the terminals and via INDUCTION would charge the bettery when over the pad.

This is just the same as getting a single variable setting power adapter from radio shack and getting end adapters for the phone.

what a waste, it could have been cool.

[Adam Block @ Jul 8th 2007 9:25PM]

This product is way lamer than I thought when I first read the Engadget coverage. I understood it to use some sort of cool inductive-charging scheme.

Nope -- it's just metal contacts. That's not even wireless; the contacts are, in effect, wires. And fitting it to existing devices requires some crap-looking dongle. Even new devices that license the WC tech will need to have exposed metal contacts somewhere, which I would expect would preclude metal cases like on the iPhone.

Seriously lame.

[Dave @ Jul 8th 2007 11:19PM]

You know...this would be a really good idea as a wireless mouse that comes with a mouse pad that is the charger. I mean, it's always on the pad...so it's always topped off. Infinitely powered wireless mice...gamers unite.

[mustharshid @ Jul 9th 2007 3:58AM]

That type of mouse is already available.

[Ogami_ito @ Jul 9th 2007 12:04AM]

As others have said, its not really wireless.

But more to the point, many devices nowadays charge by USB, and when they are charging, they are also connecting to the computer. The iPod can't use this well because the iPod should be syncing when it charges. Even the newer Razrs sync and charge at the same time. So using this device...even if it was really wireless, reduces the functionality of the phone and PMP device.

[MadChad @ Jul 9th 2007 4:02AM]

'I thought there was going to be a thin slip of material you could place inside the battery compartment that needed to touch the terminals and via INDUCTION would charge the bettery when over the pad. '



That's exactly how I figured it would work. i've been REALLY excited for this product ever since I saw the first story on it. I'm really let down by this. If they do my phone, and teh cover doesn't suck (Sony ericsson K790) then I'll get it, but as it stands it's crap. I was planing on fitting every thing I own with a little battery adapter device, but now I'm just let down. boo erns.

[cfrog7 @ Jul 9th 2007 2:05PM]

Powercast is the wireless charging solution I think which works the way you want. Also I think you don't need a pad for it. I think they said they would be releasing it by the end of 2007.

[tekdroid @ Jul 9th 2007 9:02AM]

The WildCharger costs as much as I paid for my last phone. I guess I'm not in the target demographic :)

[Robert Lee @ Jul 9th 2007 12:48PM]

This is a huge disappointment. Originally WildCharge had advertised that any object could be used "without adapters." In fact I read it on their website the night before official release and was really excited. I planned on picking one of these up right away for my 2 cell phones, laptop, camera, and MP3 player. What a let down here. $100+ isn't worth it for me to be the coolest kid on the block... and only work with my wife's cell.

Big let down and even worse false advertisement!

[Joe Soap @ Jul 12th 2007 7:48AM]

I'm glod to see a non induction version of wireless charge coming to the market. Induction solutions i've heard about, eCoupled and Splashpower (where has the latter gone?) would require DC to AC conversion, transformation from pad to device, rectification and regulation, on top of an 80% efficient wall Wart. That to me sounds 100% dumb especially with drives to improve efficiency in power supplies.

Also current in box power supplies cost very little money to make, so there is a price entry point befor the big mobile manufactures will adopt this technology and ship a wildcharge adapter. But best option is to have all phones charge from a single connector standard, like USB (which I believe is becoming more common), then all phones would ship without an in-box power supply.

To those who say you can't talk when charging, the simplicity of this unit means you'll probably be fully charged most of the time, and if the device rings on the pad, pick it up, answer the call, and put it back on the pad when done!