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Mophie's new battery packs can charge phones wirelessly
This week, Mophie announced four new wireless charging products. These include the Charge Stream Vent Mount, the Charge Stream Desk Stand, the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless and the Charge Stream Powerstation Wireless XL, which function as both wireless charging pads and power banks.
Latest Pixel 3 XL leak shows wireless charging in action
There have been hints Google's Pixel 3 line would support wireless charging, but it now appears to be a virtual lock. Maxim Khoroshev has posted a video showing a Pixel 3 XL topping up on a wireless charger. While it's not exactly a dramatic event (the device plays an animation hinted at in earlier code), it suggests that Google phone fans will finally get the Qi charging they've missed since the Nexus days. The quick clip also supports notions that Google is using an all-glass back to make wireless power a viable option.
Samsung's Wireless Charger Duo powers up your phone and smartwatch
Wireless charging is a huge quality-of-life upgrade, and Samsung knows it. That's why the company (briefly) showed off its new Wireless Charger Duo onstage at the Galaxy Note 9 event this morning. Like the rumors suggested, this pair of power pads can charge the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Watch simultaneously. The Wireless Charger Duo is now available to order in Black for $120, with shipping listed as "7 to 10 business days."
Logitech's wireless iPhone charging stand helps you watch movies
Wireless chargers are often finicky things: they tend to require that you place your phone just so, and stands usually preclude you from using your phone in anything but a vertical position. Logitech and Apple think they can lick both of those problems at once. They've teamed up on Powered, an iPhone-oriented wireless charging stand that promises to keep your device topped up no matter how you're using it. The cradle design both simplifies placement (just drop it in and go) and lets you charge while the phone is turned sideways -- helpful if you're determined to finish watching a movie when you return home.
Ascape Audio's earbuds boast wireless sound in a convenient package
If you want to put a little Motown in your ears, the Kickstarter campaign for Ascape Audio's newest Detroit-designed fully wireless earbuds and charging case has finally launched. The pitch is as follows: The AmpPack is a charging case that holds and charges the AscapePod fully wireless earbuds. The AmpPack automatically starts charging the twist-to-lock earbuds as soon as you secure them into the cradle near your phone's earpiece. The case's internal battery has enough power to charge them 20 times, or, it can double the life of your phone battery.
Mophie pad offers fast wireless charging for Apple and Samsung phones
You frequently have to be picky when you get a fast wireless charging pad: a device that tops up your Galaxy S9 at high speed might recharge your partner's iPhone X at a humdrum pace. Mophie thinks it can create some harmony with its new Charge Stream Pad+, however. The Qi-compatible puck delivers the maximum wireless charging speed possible for both Apple and Samsung handsets, topping out at 7.5W for the iPhone X/8 and 10W for numerous Galaxy models. Mophie's original iPhone-oriented pad stopped at 7.5W regardless of the device you were using, so it wasn't particularly compelling unless you lived in an Apple-centric household.
Apple's AirPower wireless charging mat could launch in March
Apple may be close to launching another one of the numerous products it teased last year. Sources talking to both MacOtakara and the Apple Post have claimed that the company's AirPower wireless charging mat should ship sometime in late March, about half a year after its September premiere. This would reportedly include the wireless charging case for AirPods, too. You might have to buy the case directly from Apple if you're upgrading an existing pair of earbuds, but multiple stores would sell a version of the AirPods with the wireless charging case included.
Corsair's wireless gaming keyboard has a 75-hour battery life
If Logitech's no-lag wireless gaming keyboard converted you into a fan of no-wires gaming, you'll love Corsair's new offerings. The peripheral-maker has launched a handful of devices at CES 2018, including a wireless gaming keyboard of its own, as well as a (huge) mousepad that doubles as a Qi charger. Corsair used CHERRY MX Red mechanical keys for the K63 keyboard and equipped it with a battery that it says can keep it running for 75 hours despite its adjustable blue backlighting. If it truly can last 75 hours, then you don't have to worry about running out of juice in the middle of a game.
Wireless charging nears unification as Powermat cedes to Qi
Consumers have been living with multiple wireless charging standards for six years, but those annoying times are nearly over. Powermat, which uses the Airfuel Inductive standard that is the only real contender to the dominant format Qi, has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and now backs Qi. "Qi has become the dominant wireless charging standard on the market and the recently launched Apple iPhone lineup is evidence of this success," Powermat said in a statement. "[We] will share technology innovation to further unlock wireless charging potential, and will expedite the growth of the wireless charging infrastructure."
Apple wireless charging patent describes ability to prioritize devices
Two patent applications published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office give us a peek into what kind of mobile device charging options Apple may be giving us in the future. As VentureBeat reports, the two applications were both filed in June though neither have been approved yet.
Olie lamp includes a voice assistant and wireless charging
It seems like everyone is building in Alexa or Google Assistant smarts to their speakers, thermostats and cars these days. If you haven't yet had enough of devices you can talk to, the Olie lamp over at Indiegogo might interest you. It's a cute little desk, floor or table lamp that will have a voice assistant from Amazon or Google and a neat little Qi wireless charging station built right in (to the table-sized Olie).
Apple lists the cars that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Sure, you know that most wireless charging pads will top up the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, but what about the pad in your car? That's a little more complicated, but Apple is willing to help out. It just posted a list of manufacturers whose vehicles can charge the latest crop of iPhones, and it's mostly good news... mostly. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and the PSA group (Citroen, DS, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall) all have cars that will charge at least the iPhone 8 (and likely X), and can charge the 8 Plus if there's enough room. Be careful if you're a GM fan, though, as you'll have to be extra-picky about your driving machine.
Belkin and Mophie offer wireless charging pads for the new iPhones
Now that Apple is suddenly a fan of wireless phone charging, iPhone-oriented charging pads are coming out of the woodwork: Belkin and Mophie have announced their own peripherals, the Boost Up and Wireless Charging Base. Both use Qi to top up your iPhone 8 or iPhone X minus wires, supplying up to 7.5W whether or not you have a case on your handset. The differences really come down to personal preference. The Belkin device (on the left) is larger and has an LED indicator to let you know when charging starts, while the Mophie model is more compact.
Apple's AirPower tech wirelessly charges multiple devices at once
Apple isn't just adding Qi wireless charging to its latest iPhones; it's trotting out a charging standard of its own. AirPower is built in partnership with Qi, but can top up multiple devices at once. At the September 12th presentation, Apple illustrated AirPower topping up an iPhone X, an Apple Watch and AirPods (with a new charging case) all at once. That's more than a little handy if you're traveling and would rather not lug around multiple adapters and cables. However, you'll have to wait to try it out.
Of course EE's hyping wireless chargers on new iPhone day
EE all but confirming new iPhone features before Apple's had a chance to announce them is turning into a bit of a yearly tradition. This morning, the carrier announced it's now selling Belkin's Qi Wireless Charging Pad for £30 (this is the standard retail price, by the way). Also, EE says other chargers and accessories will, in the coming weeks, be joining the provider's Add to Plan scheme. This lets customers on two-year handset contracts buy accessories and spread the cost over several months by adding a few quid to their monthly bill. Rumor has long had it that wireless charging would make its debut on this year's iPhones, so EE's announcement is no coincidence.
Apple takes a big step toward wireless charging on iPhones
Rumors have swirled for a while that Apple might embrace wireless charging beyond smartwatches (including for the next iPhone), and the company only seems to be stoking those expectations. Apple has quietly joined the Wireless Power Consortium, which governs the Qi standard you see on most devices with wireless charging. This doesn't guarantee that this year's iPhone will tout wireless charging, or even that Apple will use the Qi standard at all (the Apple Watch uses a modified take on Qi). However, it does say a lot about Apple's broader wireless charging strategy.
ASUS' new displays include one with a wireless charging pad
ASUS didn't show all its cards at its CES event. The computing giant has unveiled a pair of high-end desktop displays that each have their own clever tricks. The Designo Curve MX38VQ (above) is arguably the star if you're an everyday user: the 37.5-inch, 3,840 x 1,600 monitor packs a Qi wireless charging pad to top up your smartphone. We've seen charging before, but not on a screen this big and wide. It also packs a "frameless" panel and Harmon Kardon-boosted speakers (albeit a modest 8W) if you're tight on space.
Dell's 2-in-1 Latitude 7285 ditches the charging cable
After packing 10 speakers into a desktop all-in-one, Dell has another cord-cutting trick up its sleeve. The Latitude 7285 2-in-1 is a hybrid laptop and detachable tablet that also happens to be the first such device to offer a wireless-charging keyboard base. Of course, you'll need to buy Dell's new desktop wireless charging pad to actually make use of the feature, but that peripheral is also compatible with the latest Airfuel Alliance standard, which should broaden its usefulness a bit.
BauBax puts wireless charging ports in your clothes
Life would be so much easier if we could keep our phones charged just by slipping them into our pockets or purses. Startup BauBax thought so too, and went about crafting a set of garments that offer wireless charging on the go. The project launched on Kickstarter today, and I had a chance to preview prototypes of the new line to see how well it looked, felt and worked.
Dell's most interesting CES debut might be this wireless monitor
You'd think that, after winning a Best of CES award last year in the tablet category (and being named a finalist for the XPS 13), Dell would be back in 2016 with even more showstopping products. Apparently not. The company has indeed returned to CES, but all the stuff it's showing this year seems to be for business users, and the most interesting items aren't even PCs. The standouts, in our humble opinion, are a pair of wireless displays, which come in 23- and 23.8-inch sizes.
