Hasta La Gadget!

Palm’s Touchstone dock immediately came to mind when we first saw LG’s Nexus 4 Wireless Charger last fall (now available for $60 in the Play Store). Both devices are circular, with a micro-USB port in back and a slanted front surface on which to rest the phone. That’s where the similarities end — while the Touchstone is cylindrical and uses a proprietary wireless charging system, the Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is larger, spherical and Qi-compatible. Another major difference is that Palm’s dock uses permanent magnets to line up and secure the handset, and LG’s accessory relies primarily on the friction / suction between a rubber ring and the glass back of Google’s flagship phone. Design-wise the Nexus 4 Wireless Charger looks similar to a smaller Nexus Q cut in half, down to the matching recessed square connector cutout.

In the box you’ll find a 5V 1.8A AC adapter (vs. 1.2A for the one supplied with the Nexus 4) along with a micro-USB cable (longer than the one provided with the handset). The manual warns to “use only the power adapter and micro-USB cable that come with your Nexus 4 Wireless Charger”, but we didn’t have any trouble with other USB power sources beyond longer charging times. We tested the dock with the Nexus 4, Droid DNA, Lumia 920 and Lumia 822 (with the optional Wireless Charging Cover) — basically, LG’s accessory provides the same experience as Nokia’s Wireless Charging Plate ($50), which is also Qi-compatible. The $10 difference buys you a matching design and a spare USB power adapter and micro-USB cable (Nokia’s plate comes with a proprietary AC adapter). It takes about 4 hours to fully charge Google’s flagship phone using wireless power — check out the gallery above for some action shots.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Google, LG

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LaunchPort is finally releasing a sleeve for the new iPad, which makes it compatible with the company’s inductive charging gear. It goes on sale in September for a hefty $149, and of course, you’ll also need at least one $199 tabletop or wall mount to connect it to. The sleeve also works with the iPad 2, and if you’re thinking about getting one, be quick — it’s only a matter of time before resonance charging renders inductive juicing a little passé.

Continue reading LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way

Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets

LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back when we met the Galaxy S III for the very first time, Samsung promised a wireless charging solution would be coming soon to its sleek and potent slab. Unfortunately, Sammy’s power-boosting companion’s been hit by hapless delays that have prevented it from seeing the light of day. Now, thanks to a few recent shots from Phone Arena, it looks like at least some S3 owners could see a bundle in the near future, albeit not the official one from the Korean outfit. According to the site’s kind tipster, Verizon’s allegedly pricing the charging station at $50, while the rear case is expected to be around $40 — making it about $90 for the entire kit. Naturally, this could change at any given moment, but hey, at least we know it’s out there.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wireless

Verizon-branded Galaxy S III wireless charging kit starts showing up at retail stores originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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