Tech Blog

[#1]

When the Powermat first launched in Canada last year, it had the combination of being an elegant product with a cool concept. Charging a device “wirelessly” through magnetic induction was just interesting to watch, even if you didn’t care about the technology behind it. But it was pricey, and it wasn’t entirely “wireless” because of the need to use cases. The newest Powermat lineup takes a solid step in the right direction.

After trying out most of the new products Powermat released in time for the holidays, I’m thinking BlackBerry owners will be the happiest with the new line. In a smart move, Powermat embedded the charging magnet within the battery door, so you only need to replace the factory one with one of the new Powermat ones. The beauty of it is simple — just drop it on a mat and it starts charging. And the extra thickness of these doors isn’t bad at all, so it won’t be a big adjustment for you.

So far, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (you should be able to use it with the 9780 too) and BlackBerry Curve 8500 and 9300 series are supported with these thinner doors. Nothing for the Torch yet.

For the iPhone, the story is better, but still not quite where it should be. The iPhone 4 receiver case is reasonably thin and durable, even if it doesn’t have the look and feel of the bevy of cases the market has to offer. The iPhone 4 charging system bundle is a nice combo if you only care about juicing the phone. The mat is contoured to fit only the iPhone 4 snugged into the receiver.

Of course, if you already have a mat, you can just buy the receiver case separately.

And then there’s the Dual 1850 Portable Charger, which is like a Powercube, except it has Apple’s 30-pin connector and a short micro-USB cable so you can charge one or two devices simultaneously. It’s proven to be a nifty little item for me to keep around in a laptop bag or carry-on, just in case I need extra juice and there’s no outlet or port to fill the void.

Now, there’s really nothing “wireless” about the Dual 1850. Yes, I charge it wirelessly on a mat, but that’s the extent of it.

As far as mats go, you can get a small mat for one device, otherwise known as the “1X”, or a mat that handles two, called the “2X”. These have a smaller footprint than the original ones that came out last year.

[#2]

I've always been intrigued by the Powermat. Do you know if these models are only designed to work with Li-Ion and Ni-MH batteries?

Thanks Teddy.

[#3]

Hey Essi,

As far as I know, Powermat is only meant to work with batteries that can be charged through magnetic induction, since that's the core of the technology behind it. I don't think it matters what battery type it is, so long as it can be charged that way.