ABOUT:
As consumers rely more heavily than ever on devices such as smartphones and cell phones for everything from texting and talking, to working and shopping, their demand for more power and more convenient charging options has skyrocketed. Energizer, a leader in innovative power solutions that make consumers’ lives easier, recognized this growing need and responded with the introduction of their first inductive charger built with Qi technology, the new universal charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).
Widely anticipated and considered to be one of the most compelling new developments in charging technology, Qi (pronounced chee) will bring consumers the freedom to charge their smartphones, MP3 players, cameras – any device 5 Watts or less – on a single charging station, regardless of manufacturer.
“We believe that a universal standard is the future of charging, and by leading the way with one of the first Qi products – the Energizer® Inductive Charger – we are meeting a clear need for a product that makes charging devices easier by eliminating cords and clutter,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for Energizer North America. “This next generation charger is a natural extension of an innovative product portfolio that brings more freedom for people to live and to work using power that’s reliable and convenient.”
MY THOUGHTS:
My husband just got the new iPhone and his old iPhone 3GS has become my son’s new iPod Touch. Now I hate cords and chargers and never seem to be able to remember to plug in our devices. What I love about the Energizer Inductive Charger is that I put a special case on once and then going forward I just have to place the iPhone 3GS anywhere on the circles on the mat. It is actually so easy my 3 year old knows now to put it on the charger if the battery dies! No more looking for the charger or trying to charge it through my computer, just lay it down on the mat just like I would on the counter! The mat is also relatively small, a little smaller than a sheet of paper but thicker so it doesn’t take up much room nor does it look unappealing.
Now since the iPhone is all one piece, you do have to use the special Energizer sleeve (Case) for it. So a drawback would be if you are particular about your case style or color then you’d have to keep putting this one on to charge your device. I really could care less and love how sturdy and durable the Energizer Qi Sleeve is – think hard plastic shell-like. If you have a BlackBerry Curve 8900 then you just replace the back of your phone. You don’t have to worry about the case getting damaged during normal use either, which I was worried since it has the charging mechanism built in.
I am hoping in the near future, like Energizer says, the manufacturers will begin to build the devices with the Qi technology built in, since Qi is supposed to be the new universal standard for inductive charging. Overall, I like the Energizer Inductive Charger. The device is about $90 to own, but in the long run it will save time and money. As far as the costs of the device sleeves go, they do cost about $35 each but then again that is not much more than a regular case is that you’d probably buy. There is also a USB device on the back to charge anything you’d normally charge via USB! I think the Energizer Inductive Charger will really be worth its money once it can charge more devices and you don’t need to buy special sleeves. Until then though, it still will save you time and help you keep your devices charged and ready to go!
BUY IT: The Energizer Inductive Charger has a suggested retail price of $89 and is sold in your local store’s electronics department. The removable Qi sleeve for the iPhone® 3GS/3G and the Qi door for the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 are sold separately for $34.99 each.
Mama’s Money Savers Disclosure: I was sent this product in exchange for my honest opinion. Please see my Disclosure Policy.
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