A set of new mophie brand "powerstation" universal Lightning connector USB chargers were revealed for release at Apple stores this week. In the mix are the powerstation, powerstation plus, and powerstation plus XL, each in a variety of new colors. Each of these new devices includes feature 18W fast charge to charge up the newest iPhone devices as quick as possible.
The European Union has voted to approve a common charger standard, despite Apple's protestations that it could hamper innovation, and now aims to fast-track the rule in the name of cutting down on e-waste. The new regulation comes after years of the EU hoping that manufacturers would voluntarily adopt charger standards, only to find those hopes frustrated.
The number of our electronic devices may be multiplying but the sockets we charge them from definitely aren't. Even in homes and offices, charging ports may be a diminishing commodity and typical USB hubs don't exactly push out enough watts to meet the hungriest of gadgets. At CES 2020, Satechi is unveiling a new 108W Pro Desktop Charger that will supply all the power that your devices need, no matter how much that may be.
It may have just announced its first diversion into a new market with the Soundform Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker + Wireless Charger but Belkin hasn't forgotten about its core product line. In fact, it is flooding the CES 2020 showroom floor with chargers and power banks, figuratively, of course. Riding the wave of recent trends, almost all of Belkin's new 2020 chargers are of the wireless variety and the one that doesn't at least sport a USB-C connection to accommodate most of the latest smartphones, tablets, and even laptops.
Apple has yet to solve the Apple Watch's battery life problem but, in the meantime, accessory makers are seeing an opportunity to capitalize on the need to charge the wearable on the go. Apple's own charging accessories for the Apple Watch can be big or long, depending on which one you go for. Satechi, however, is offering an almost ingenious solution that simply sticks the magnetic charging dock to the side of a MacBook or iPad Pro.
Apple may not have been able to figure out AirPower, but that isn't stopping Nomad from making a wireless charging pad that promises to top up your phone regardless of where you set it down. The Nomad Base Station Pro debuts Aira's FreePower technology, which removes the need to precisely set down a Qi-compatible gadget on a charging pad.
For years, Apple has been criticized for being stingy on batteries, despite actually outlasting its Android counterparts. It has finally conceded when it launched the large-sized iPhones but, despite that increase in battery capacity, it retained its measly 5W charger. This year, it broke tradition in more ways than one and is now reported to be shipping an 18-watt fast charger, but only for its more expensive iPhone 11 model.
The Galaxy Note 10 duo have gotten mixed ratings from reviewers and benchmarks but one feature that seems to be one feature that, on the surface, is a clear win. The Galaxy Note 10+, in particular, is able to support up to 45 watts of charging, one of the faster ones in the consumer market and Samsung's fastest so far. That, however, doesn't come for free as Samsung didn't include such a charger in the box. To complicate matters, users will need to carefully select the charger they'll buy to take advantage of that super fast charging capability.
Apple AirPower may have quietly been shelved before ever reaching the Apple Store, but now Mophie has a pair of wireless charging pads that promise to juice up two or three of your Apple devices simultaneously. The Mophie Dual Wireless Charging Pad and 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad aren't quite as elegant as the Qi pad Apple had in mind to make, but a strong mark in their favor is that you'll actually be able to buy them.
While the Galaxy Note 10 has pretty much been leaked to death, including its availability, there are still some things that seem to be in debate. One of those is the charging capabilities of the phone whether it will include the brand new 45 watt charger that has been repeatedly leaked before. The good news is that such a charger does exist and the Galaxy Note 10 will support it. The bad news: you'll have to buy it separately.
We may have reached 2019, but Apple's AirPower certainly hasn't, with the much-anticipated wireless charging pad failing to hit shelves by the end of the company's self-imposed deadline. Announced alongside not 2018's iPhone range, but the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus the year before, AirPower was to be one of the most sophisticated - and flexible - wireless charging pads on the market.
Perhaps 2019 will be the year of the Airpower but until Apple finally launches its long-promised wireless charger, others will try to make their own version of it. And some will do a terrible job at it, depending on your aesthetic tastes. Take, for example, this AT&T “Power Drum” that just came out of the blue. Fortunately, it’s not really a big drum but its odd canister shape is designed to not only wirelessly charge an iPhone on top but also an Apple Watch wrapped around it.