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Pitaka Air Trio triple device wireless charger review

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – How many of you need to charge more than one device every night? I’m guilty for sure. I’ve been an Apple addict since playing games on my Apple II as a teenager. These days I’m not without my Apple Watch (series 4) and my iPhone X. Both of those end up needing a charge every night and my iPad Pro (11″) frequently does as well. Well as it turns out Pitaka has a new product that solves that exact issue. It’s called Air Trio and I’ve got a pre-production unit from Pitaka that I’ve put through the paces to tell you all about. Here we go.

What is it?

Air Trio is a triple charger that can charge an Apple Watch, a device with wireless charging and a larger device with USB-C. It’s also available with a Lightning connector instead of the USB-C if that suits your quiver of devices better. There’s a lot of unique features, so let’s push on.

What’s in the box?

A reminder that this is a preproduction unit so some details could change before the Air Trio ships.

  • Air Trio
  • Wall adapter (supplies all necessary power)

Hardware specs

Device Support: 3 devices; Apple Watch, Wireless Phone, and USB-C tablet. (Lightning optional instead of USB-C)
Power:
– Input: DC15v/3.5A
– USB-C Output: 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12v/1.5A
– Apple Watch Output: 5V/1A
– Wireless Output: 3 coils supporting 7.5W and 10W fast charging

Design and features

Pitaka has followed its brand ethos with the main surface of the Air Trio. The entire top is their aramid fiber with the silky smooth soft-touch finish. The Apple Watch charger sits in the back half just in front of the USB-C connector and adjustable tablet rest, and there’s a small punch-hole to the left of the watch charger with a recessed LED.

Both of these connectors/chargers have additional functionality. On the right side of the device is a button which releases the Apple Watch charger allowing it to slowly rise to a vertical position. Here’s a closer look.

The USB-C has about 15º of range either side of the vertical position which allows for flexibility while connecting and disconnecting devices or adjusting the lean of your tablet. The dial on the right side raises and lowers that connector so you can match the depth of any case you might have on your device. Here’s a look at the high and low limits of that adjustment.

At the back of the device is the pivoting tablet rest which you can adjust between vertical and any amount of recline all the way to folded under for stowing. Without taking it apart I can’t really tell, but it’s either a friction pivot or opposing springs and holds its position without being difficult to move.

Also on the back is the power-in port (left) and an additional port which houses the LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) which enables a sleep mode of reduced brightness.

On the bottom are four rubber feet for a stable stance and it’s here that you realize just how much of the device is a polished zinc alloy. The entire bottom, sides and complete tablet rest have this finish.

The wall adapter resembles a MacBook charger with a fixed cable that could stand to be a bit longer and barrel jack at the end.

Setup

The sample I received did not have any kind of instructions but I’m pretty confident the retail units will. Regardless, setup is pretty easy. Figure out where you’re going to place the unit, connect the wall adapter’s barrel jack to the back of the Air Trio and then plug the adapter into the wall. Any additional setup is specific to your devices so let’s move on to how it works.

Performance

First off, the Air Trio has some significant heft in all the right ways. It weighs in at a little over 2lbs, 3oz. For reference, my 11″ iPad Pro with keyboard and pencil is about 1lb, 110z, so the stand has plenty ballast to keep from tipping over even before you add a phone and a watch.

For my purposes, I’ve been using the Air Trio on my nightstand. It’s super handy for being that last stop as I go to sleep. I can plop my watch and phone down and then dock my iPad after I finish getting just enough blue light to let me have trouble sleeping.

The iPad rest is set a little shy of vertical. I have the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio on my 11″ iPad Pro and between the lean angle and the amount of space between the connector and the rest, there’s no issue docking it with the cover closed or folded behind.

I mentioned the adjustable height USB-C before which lets it adjusts for both case depth and/or your lean angle up until the point you go beyond the connectors angle limitation. Only things to know here is that if you’re running a case with a charge port really tight to the Apple USB-C cable, it could be tight. It’s also really tricky to dock your iPad with a single hand because the connector moves forward and back. This gets even tricker if you’ve got the Apple Watch charger flipped up as I do.

So, why does the charger flip up? One, it enables nightstand mode on your watch. Super useful for me as I like my bedroom dark and the watch display will time out until I knock on my nightstand for it to display again. Two, some of the bands available for Apple Watch do not fully disconnect which makes charging them on a flat surface very hard, if not impossible. Here’s Apple’s Link Bracelet to demonstrate that point and one of a flat charging position.

All the real estate to the front is for wireless charging your phone or other accessory. My iPhone X fits there really well, perhaps feeling a bit cramped when the watch charger is flipped up and occupied. Those of you with larger phones may find your phone overhanging the front a bit. There are three charging coils up there to help deal with the different coil placements in phones.

Overall, the Air Trio is a solid accessory if you’re charging a trio of Apple accessories. Here’s some things to be aware of…

As you can see, some of the screen of my 44mm watch is obscured when I also charge my phone. Definitely not a deal breaker by any means, but if your case is much thicker it could be frustrating.

The charging coil is relatively tolerant to position, just experiment with your particular phone and adjust to make sure you’re actively charging.

With as heavy as the Air Trio is, I was expecting to be able to grab my iPad with one hand for removal. Alas, the USB-C connection is a good one and I’d rather not wiggle the whole thing until it releases. One hand on the front of the base lightly while the other lifts and you’re good to go.

That little LED to the left of the watch charger is really bright, and for some reason, it blinks while your devices are charging. If you put a piece of tape over the light sensor at the back, the LED power cuts in half. I’m relying on my devices to tell me they’re charging so my piece of tape is going over the LED itself.

Finally, you can order any color you like as long as it’s Aramid/Polished Zinc (carbon fiber look with chrome). This is sitting on my nightstand, so not a huge deal, but otherwise could be polarizing for potential customers.

What I like

  • Fast charging for 3 devices with 1 charger (remember to choose USB-C or Lightning for the tablet at purchase)
  • Heavy and stays put
  • Works with cased devices and any watch band combo

What I’d change

  • Remove the LED since your devices show charging status
  • Power cable could be a bit longer for getting behind furniture
  • More color options, less or no chrome

Final thoughts

Pitaka has a great charging product here and it’s less Apple centric as it might initially sound. The Apple Watch charger is actually the only Apple specific thing as the USB-C rear and wireless front chargers can work with many devices. I really appreciate fewer cords and the Air Trio is a sweet spot for the accessories I use daily. It replaced 3 separate chargers on my nightstand with a single unit that works very well for me.

Price: $129 and up
Where to buy: Kickstarter (campaign launches in 2-3 weeks)
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Pitaka.

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Pitaka Air Trio triple device wireless charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 9, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad review

REVIEW – Many chargers for Qi-enabled devices have entered the market in the past few years.  Most have a very simple design and are typically made of plastic with perhaps some metallic components to add a bit of style.  But did you ever wish your Qi charging pad had just a bit more of a sophisticated look?  EasyAcc must have wanted that too, so they designed their PU (Polyurethane) Leather Qi Charging Pad.  Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad is a charging pad for Qi-enabled devices that is very thin and has an elegant-looking polyurethane leather-like surface on its exterior.

What’s in the box?

  • EasyAcc PU Leather Qi Charging Pad (with integrated USB power cable)
  • Instruction booklet

Hardware specs

  • Charge modes:
    • 10W quick charge for most Android phones
    • 7.5W mode for Apple iPhones
    • 5W slow charge mode for Pixel devices
  • Exterior: Polyurethane (PU) leather-like material that is mothproof and antibacterial
  • Dimensions:
    • 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) in diameter
    • 7/16-inch (6.5mm) thick
  • Charging cable: 4 feet, 9 inches (57 inches or 145 cm) long integrated USB
  • Compatibility
    • Will charge virtually any Qi-enabled device, with a few exceptions
    • Can charge through cases up to 5mm thick
  • Built-in protection against overheating, overcharging, and short-circuits
  • Warranty: 18 months

Design and features

My initial impression of the EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad was that its PU leather material was very soft and felt and looked almost like real leather.

The PU leather material has been applied to both the top and bottom of the charging pad, and it acts as a non-slip surface on both sides of the device, helping to prevent your phone from slipping off its top, as well preventing the charging pad from slipping off smooth surfaces.

Despite the layers of PU Leather on its top and bottom surface, this is a very thin charging pad at only 6.5mm thick.

The hand-stitched PU Leather material is of course not actually leather but rather artificial polyurethane leather-like material, which is often abbreviated as PU leather or simply PU.  When PU leather was introduced to the market some years ago, it often had a less than flattering reputation due to it often looking and feeling quite fake and un-leather-like.  However, the design and manufacturing processes that produce PU leather today are much more sophisticated and give this material a much more leather-like appearance and texture along with durability and less expensively than real leather.  In addition, the EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad is 100% handmade.

This charging pad’s USB power cable is actually integrated directly into the pad itself and is non-removable from the pad.  This helps cut down on the thickness of the pad and also helps give the overall look a more simple, elegant appearance; however, it does require that the cable be plugged into a computer, AC adapter, or another device with a USB port.

When the pad has been plugged into power but there is no device on it being charged, a tiny LED on the top of the pad glows blue.

When a Qi-enabled device has been placed upon the charging pad, the tiny blue LED switches to a green glow to indicate that a device is being charged.

I first used my wife’s iPhone X as a test subject (seen in the photos here), and later my daugher’s iPhone 8 Plus, and the pad charged both iPhones easily.  This pad also seemed to be a bit less sensitive to having the iPhone positioned in a certain location in order for charging to take place, unlike other charging pads that I have tried that seem to require the device being charged to be in a precise spot on the top of the pad.

The charging pad was also able to charge my wife’s iPhone X and my daughter’s iPhone 8 Plus while the iPhones were inside of their protective cases.  This case is about 5mm thick but this did not seem to inhibit charging.

This charger looks quite nice sitting on a nightstand, desk, or just about anywhere you want to use it.

What I like

  • PU leather material has an elegant appearance and feel
  • Very thin
  • PU leather provides a non-slip surface to top and bottom

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing that I can see

Final thoughts

I was impressed with the EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad.  Its leather-like PU material gives it a sophisticated appearance and texture, yet it is quite affordable in price.  It is also very thin and not particularly sensitive to the placement of the device being charged.  If you are in the market for a Qi-enabled charging pad that is affordable and has an elegant look and feel, the EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad might be a good option for you.

Price: $16.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by EasyAcc.

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EasyAcc 10W PU Leather Qi Charging Pad review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 12, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Forget about Qi, soon you’ll be able to charge your devices with light

NEWS – I remember being excited the first time I learned about the ability to charge a device without having to physically plug in a power cable and I jumped on the wireless charging (Qi) bandwagon as soon as I could. These days wireless charging is commonplace, but soon a new wireless charging tech is going to revolutionize how we charge our devices. What is this new sorcery that I speak of? It’s light. Infrared light.

The company who will be bringing this tech to light (sorry) is Wi-Charge. The tech uses patented infrared wireless power technology that can deliver several watts of power to client devices up to 10 meters away without having to put the device on a special charging pad as we do now. Eventually, our devices may have this new charging technology built in, but the first solution that Wi-Charge will bring to market is specific to the Amazon Echo and Google mini devices.

I had some questions for Wi-Charge about this new tech:

When will this tech be available to end-users? In 2019.

What will be the cost of the charging device/light? The Wireless Power Kits are going to be available as a reference design for our OEM partners. This means that these partners set the end-user price. For example, our wireless charging capability can be priced as an accessory to the device.

Will we be able to retrofit existing devices to use it? The solution has two parts:
– A wireless charger that can be plugged into the wall. This sends out the energy.
– A cradle that connects to the Amazon Echo or Google Home. Basically, you just place the smart speaker inside the cradle.

If you are interested in learning more, visit Wi-charge.com to read more about this new infrared light charging tech.

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Forget about Qi, soon you’ll be able to charge your devices with light originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Nomad Base Station wireless charging dock review

REVIEW – Back in September, I wrote a news story about the Nomad Base Station wireless charger. As someone who has a lot of devices, I was glad when Nomad recently sent me one to review.

What is it?

The Nomad Base Station is a wireless charging hub capable of charging up to four devices simultaneously.

Hardware Specs

  • 3 coils with 10W output per coil
  • USB-A 7.5W port
  • USB-C PD 18W port
  • LED wireless charging indicators
  • Ambient light sensor dims LED’s at night

What’s in the box?

  • Base Station wireless charging dock
  • AC power adaptor
  • International EU & UK adapters

Design and features

The Base Stations design is highlighted by a black soft padded leather charging surface. The chassis is made of aluminum, making it almost impossibly light.

It also has a low profile, with a height of just half a centimeter.

On the bottom of the device, there are two no-slip grip rubber feet.

The Base Stations clean and simple design makes it perfect for use on an end table, nightstand or desktop.

On the front of the dock, there are 3 small LED wireless charging indicator lights.

On the back, there’s an ambient light sensor that dims the LED’s at night. It’s also where you will find the power and two charging ports.

Let’s charge some stuff

With 3 high-power coils, Base Station Hub charges one or two devices simultaneously at up to 10W each.

When wirelessly charging your phone the LED indicator on the front of the dock glows orange, when charging is complete it glows white. There are 3 lights, one for each coil. This feature comes in handy when charging two phones simultaneously.

The padded leather surface is exactly the same size as my iPhone Xs Max when it’s placed on the charger horizontally. And even though I use a case, I like the fact that it provides extra protection for my phone. The10W charging coils did a great job of quickly charging my iPhone, on par with other fast wireless chargers I have used.

The only issue I found was when placing your phone on the charger vertically (as you would if you were charging 2 phones simultaneously), it’s hard to find the sweet spot on the coils to charge your phone.

USB-A 7.5W charging port

The USB-A 7.5W charging port is perfect for plugging in an Apple Watch charger, a non-wireless charging capable phone, charging a pair of wireless headphones, or any other device that uses a USB-A charging cable.

I used it mainly for charging my 10.5” iPad Pro, and although it doesn’t charge as fast as the included iPad charger, it does the job. And if I need to, I can always plug my Pro into the hub while I’m using it.

USB-C 18W charging port

Having a USB-C port is great. Along with being able to charge a MacBook or MacBook Pro, it also assures that the Base Station is future proof.

I love being able to charge my MacBook Pro from the Base Station. Again, charging here isn’t as fast as with the included MacBook Pro charger but, it still charges my MacBook pretty quickly.

As an added bonus USB-C can now be used to charge the new iPad Pro.

What I like

  • Solid build quality
  • Padded leather wireless charging surface
  • Charges up to 4 devices simultaneously (including fast wireless charging)
  • Easy to use
  • Eliminates having to use multiple chargers and cables

What needs to be improved

  • When charging 2 phones or placing a phone on the charging pad vertically, you have to move it around to get it to charge

Final thoughts

The Base Station wireless charging dock is the kind of high-quality product I’ve come to expect from Nomad. I love its clean, elegant look and the ability to charge all my devices from a single hub. I also like that it eliminates the need for multiple chargers and cables. The Base Station now sits on an end table next to my recliner as the central charging hub in my house.

Note: Nomad recently introduced the Base Station Apple Watch Edition which I will be reviewing soon. Stay tuned.

Price: $99.95
Where to buy: Nomad’s website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Nomad.

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Nomad Base Station wireless charging dock review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 17, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Own the wireless charging tray endorsed by Oprah herself

NEWS – The Courant Catch:3 is a wireless charging station with a tray to hold your other EDC pocket stuff that is on Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things list this year.  You can see why it’s on the list:  it’s useful, and it’s beautiful!

The Catch:3 is made of premium pebble-grain Italian leather and high-grade matte aluminum alloy.  It has a Qi-certified 3-coil wireless charger that can charge through most cases up to 3mm thick and an additional USB-A output for charging another device.

It comes with a nylon-braided covered USB-C charging cable and a power adapter (for use in the USA only). It measures 11″ x 8″ x 0.6″, and the charging tray is weighted to prevent slipping.  The Catch:3 has Qi, CE, FCC, and ROHS certifications.  It provides 5W/7.5W/10W fast wireless charging output.

Courant offers the Catch:3 in bone, ash, or black leather for $175.  Purchase at the Courant website.

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Own the wireless charging tray endorsed by Oprah herself originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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