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Nomad’s Wireless Charging Hub: One charger to rule them all?

Ever since Apple introduced wireless charging with their new iPhones it seems we’ve been inundated with a lot of new wireless chargers. Most manufacturers chose to make them as small, light, and flat as possible. Nomad, however, decided to go in the complete opposite direction with their new Wireless Charging Hub. But for good reason. The first thing you notice is that it’s quite a bit larger than its competitors. But in this case, larger may indeed be better. Hidden discreetly underneath the 7.5W charging pad are 4 additional USB charging ports. 2 USB 1A outputs, for your Airpods, Apple Watch, bike lights, or other USB charging devices. A  2.1A output, for fast charging another phone or iPad, and a fast-charge supported USB-C 3.0A port. That’s 30W of total power so you can wirelessly charge your iPhone 8, 8 plus, X or Android phone and an additional 4 devices at the same time.

Hidden on the backside of the Hub is a cable management system which minimizes the cable clutter on your desk or bedside. For extra stability, Nomad added molded steel bars and a rubber base around the bottom.

Another nice feature is the LED charging indicator lights. They glow orange when your device is charging, and white once fully charged. But the best thing is the ambient light sensor that dims the light in a dark room. Because annoying lights while sleeping are the worst.

 

The Nomad Wireless Charging Hub is a little pricey coming in at $79.95. But it might be well worth it if you’re looking for a clean and efficient way to charge all your devices. The Hub comes in black and is available on Nomad’s website.

You’ll feel like it’s the future when you use a Venus Qi charger

It figures that now that the iPhone finally has Qi charging, that Qi charging docks are becoming not only popular but cool. For example, check out the Venus Qi charger from Bourge Design. With its metal and glass design, it looks like something right out of Star Trek. It features a unique wedge shape and two additional ports to charge your other gear. There’s a USB 3.0 port on the front and a USB Type-C port.

But what’s even more unusual is that you can connect two Venus chargers together back to back to create a hub. Bourge Design created the Venus chargers to be modular from the beginning, so it’s likely that other accessories may be available in the future.

The Venus wireless charger is priced at $89.99 for one and $159.99 if you want to order two. They will be available in Q2 and can be pre-ordered now from bourgedesign.com

You’ll never forget to charge your backup battery with the Avid WiBa wireless powerbank and charging station

The new WiBa 100% wireless power bank and charging station is coming soon from Avido.  You’ll get a wireless Qi charging station, of course, and you’ll also get a Qi-charging battery bank to carry with you.  You’ll simplify your charging setup, because the battery charges on top of the charging station; the phone goes on top to charge simultaneously.  The 5000mAh battery pack also comes with a power cord for charging itself and the phone while you are traveling.

The WiBa kit includes:

  • WiBa 5000mAh wireless power bank
  • WiBa charging dock
  • USB Type-C cable
  • QC 3.0 AC Adapter
  • Two slim metal plates (black and white) to attach to the back of your phone to keep it attached to the magnets in the battery pack

The WiBa wireless battery and charging station will be $99.95; sign up for email notification when the WiBa Qi charging system is ready for purchase at Avido.

CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand review

Now that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are out and shipping more people are becoming interested in Qi charging. I have been using Qi charging for a while on both my iPhone 5 and 6 with a Dog&Bone case that I previously reviewed, I love the convenience. CHOETECH, a maker of cases, stands chargers, other gear and gadgets have sent me one of their new Qi Fast Wireless Charging Stands to review.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

As I mentioned from above, I have an iPhone 6 with a Qi-enabled case, so that is what I will be using to test this charger. I will also note that on the CHOETECH Amazon page the iPhone 8 and X are listed as phones that it will charge in the standard charging mode. I will test this and post my results when our iPhone X arrives. Although I don’t usually cut and paste all this type of information from a product website (I usually just post the specs and or features) I believe this information is important for an informed choice.

Wireless Convenience
Bid farewell to tangled wires and messy cables with CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charger. It is compatible with Qi-enabled device or device with a Qi-enabled cover.

Two Charge Modes
(1). Fast Charge Compatible Devices:
– Samsung Galaxy S8/S8 Plus S7/S7 Edge/S6 Edge+/Note 5
(2). Standard Charge Compatible Device:
– Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge
– Nexus 4/Nexus 5/Nexus 6
– Nokia Lumia 920/1020/928, Lumia 950/950 XL
– HTC 8X (not UK version) / HTC Droid DNA / Rzound

Incompatible device:
Moto Droid Turbo/LG V10

Specifications:
Input: 5V/2A; 9V/1.8A (Max.)
Output: 10W (Max.)

Note:
1.The wireless charger needs to plugged into a wall outlet to work. It is a bit incompatible with original adapter that came from S8 or S8 Plus.
2.The Fast Charge feature is only compatible with Galaxy Note5 / S6 edge+,S7 and S7 Edge, S8/S8 Plus models.
3.QC 2.0 Adaptive Fast Charger is required for the fast charge wireless charging feature, please use QC 2.0 original adapter( Except adapter from S8 or S8 Plus) as its power source.
4.The protective case is normally suggested to be removed if it is too thick during charging as it will affect charging or may lead to overheating (OtterBox case must remove).
5.Some devices such as iPhone 7/7 Plus/6/6 Plus, LG G4, Note 4 require an additional wireless charging receiver (Not Included).

The CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand comes with the charging stand and a USB to Micro USB cable,

The front of the charging stand has the CHOETECH name, a ledge to rest your phone on and an indicator light to allow you to see if the stand is charging or in standby mode. The indicator light also changes color depending on the charge speed, a green light means you are charging at the standard rate and a blue light lets you know that you are fast charging

The rear of the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand has the Micro USB port at the bottom of the stand.

The sides of the stand have a little architectural style to it making it a little more interesting to look at.

The bottom of the stand has four rubberized foot pads to keep the stand from slipping, the model number and various bits of technical information.

To charge your phone all you need to do is place it on the stand as long as it is Qi capable or you have a Qi-capable cover on your phone the indicator light should change to show you are charging. Notice my phone charges at the regular rate so the light is green.

So, what is my bottom line here? I like the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand. The charging stand does exactly what it is designed to do, charge your phone using induction charging (Qi). The CHOETECH Wireless Charging Stand is sturdy to use and attractive to look at. The stand seems solid and has some weight to it. The indicator light is a nice feature letting you know that your phone is charging. Although I did not have a chance to test the fast charging feature (up to 1.4x faster than regular charge) I think this is a nice feature to have. I can only think of two shortcomings of the stand. First, it does not include a power plug or charging block to plug your USB to Micro USB cable into a power outlet. The other issue is that the indicator light does not change to show when your phone is charged, it always stays the same color (in my case green) when your phone is on the stand fully charged or not. Overall, if you are looking for a nice, fairly priced Qi charging stand, I think that the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand is well worth a look.

Positives:

  • Fast Charging capability
  • Simple but sturdy design

Negatives:

  • No charging block

Price: $21.45
Where you can buy one: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by CHOETECH.

Grovemade adds a natural touch to wireless device charging

Grovemade’s newest accessory is the elegant Wireless Charging Pad.  The 5.26″ disk has a stainless steel base with a cork top, available in a natural (shown) or dark finish.  The charging pad has a 6-foot USB cable (120V wall power adapter included); a groove in the base corrals excess cord for a clean, uncluttered look on your desk or nightstand.  It has a 5W output and is compatible with all Qi-enabled devices.  It works with all Grovemade iPhone cases and with most other cases up to 3mm thick.  The Wireless Charging Pad is available at an introductory price of $79 from Grovemade.

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Grovemade adds a natural touch to wireless device charging originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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