WEBVTT - Unique Wireless Smartphone Chargers 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:07.360 The latest wireless chargers to keep your phone topped off 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:11.000 at home, the office, and on the go. What's going on? 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:14.760 I'm Rich Demiro. This is Rich on Tech. So wireless 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:17.440 charging has been around for a while. Samsung has had 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:20.319 it on its phone since the Galaxy S six, but 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:23.840 last year, when Apple came on board, this technology was 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:27.280 propelled into the big time. Funny how that happens. So 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.960 if you have an iPhone A and up, which is 0:00:30.000 --> 0:00:34.040 an iPhone eight eight plus ten, ten S, tens Max 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:37.360 or the ten R, you've got wireless charging built into 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.600 your phone. If you have a Samsung Galaxy S six 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:44.200 and up, that's the S six, S seven, S eight, 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:47.839 S nine, Oh my gosh, what are they up to now? 0:00:47.880 --> 0:00:51.480 The Note nine, the Note eight, not the Note seven 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:53.720 that was recalled. If you have one of those phones, 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:56.360 you've got it. And LG has it on some of 0:00:56.400 --> 0:00:59.880 its models, and Google just jumped in with the Pixel 0:00:59.880 --> 0:01:03.720 th three that also has wireless charging. So overall, I 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:07.000 still like plugging my phone in for a more consistent charge, 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.280 but these little wireless charging devices and pads are great 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:13.039 for your desk and when you're on the go. Basically, 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.039 if you're using your phone a lot, like if you're 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:17.400 picking it up and placing it down a lot while 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:20.319 it's at your desk. These are a great solution because 0:01:20.319 --> 0:01:22.479 you don't have to keep plugging and unplugging your phone 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:24.520 in to use it. You can just basically lay them 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:28.560 on this charger. It's keeping it topped off and everyone's happy. So, 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:31.360 by the way, almost all the manufacturers have adopted this 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:34.400 G standard, which is actually spelled QI. I know, a 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:37.080 little confusing. There used to be like this big war 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:40.520 of standards. There was PMA, there was CHI, but that's 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.440 all over now. So basically all wireless chargers now will 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:46.520 work with almost all phones, all the newer phones at least. 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:48.480 The only thing to know about this is that you 0:01:48.560 --> 0:01:50.600 have to kind of look at the speed of charging. 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.080 So the speed might be different depending on the phone 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:55.760 and also the wireless charger. So ideally you want to 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:59.080 match up what capacity your phone can charge at along 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:03.440 with what capacity the charger can push that charge through at. 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.360 So here's a few unique models I've been checking out lately, 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:09.240 starting with the Google Pixel stand This is eighty dollars 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:12.120 and this was really built for the Google Pixel three. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:14.880 It will work with other devices, but it does unique things. 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:17.520 When you put your pixel on it first off Pixel 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:19.600 three by the way, it will charge your pixel at 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:22.200 top speed up to ten watts. All other phones it 0:02:22.240 --> 0:02:24.520 will charge at five watts. Now, when you place your 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:27.920 phone on the Pixel stand, you'll activate the Google Assistant, 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:30.600 so you're gonna see shortcuts on your screen related to 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:32.799 the things you might want to do, like the good 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.560 morning routine or the bedtime routine for nighttime. There's also 0:02:36.600 --> 0:02:39.640 this sunrise alarm that will slowly brighten your Pixel three 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.520 screen in warm sunrise colors before your alarm goes off, 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:45.839 which is really nice, so you might even wake up 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.200 before you hear any sound, easing you into your day 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.080 instead of with a blaring alarm. Although Pixel three has 0:02:52.080 --> 0:02:54.120 a nice gradual alarm so you'll be okay there too. 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.480 It also turns your Pixel three into a digital photo frame, 0:02:57.600 --> 0:02:59.760 so while you have this thing on the stand, it's 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:03.119 sort of a screensaver mode. It'll show off your digital pictures. 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:06.280 They've got digital well being features mixed in as well, 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:09.000 so you can set the stand to automatically put your 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.640 Pixel three into do not disturb mode while it's charging 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:13.799 and when you're ready to go to sleep, the screen 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.399 will go dark until it's time for your alarm, which 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:18.560 is really nice. Kind of what the iPhone does with 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:22.120 the do not Disturb wall sleeping feature. Now, there's also 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:25.760 seamless integration with the Nest Hello Video doorbell. So basically, 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:28.640 if you have your pixel on your pixel stand on 0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:32.200 your desk, and you also have a Nest Hello Video doorbell, 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:35.320 when someone rings your doorbell, this is really cool. Your 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:37.880 screen on your phone just comes to life with what 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:41.160 your doorbell is seeing. So again, that only works with 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:44.080 the Nest Hello does not work with the ring, but 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:46.880 it's a really cool little feature. I saw it demoed 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:49.400 at the Google event in New York City and it 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:51.320 almost makes me want to switch to a Nest for 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:55.080 that feature, because that's really cool. Next up the Samsung 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:58.760 Wireless Charger Duo. So this lets you charge two devices 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:02.400 at once, which be two smartphones or a smartphone and 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.720 a Samsung smart watch. No, it does not work with 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.320 the Apple Watch. This is not the air power system 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:10.560 from Apple that we still have not seen yet. This 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.560 will charge a Gear s three, a Gear Sport, and 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:16.760 a Galaxy Watch. Along with one of these Samsung phones, 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:19.400 it will also charge a wide variety of other devices, 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:21.280 and there's even a built in fan to keep your 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:24.359 device and the charger cool. One thing I noticed about 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:27.240 this Samsung Wireless Charger Duo, which by the way, is 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.800 one hundred and twenty dollars. It's got a giant power 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:32.800 plug that you plug into the wall, so this thing 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:35.200 is taking a lot of power to work this thing. 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:37.960 Next up, we've got a wireless travel kit from a 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:40.760 company called Nimble. This is a new company that was 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.400 created by some of the folks who originally created Mofi. 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:47.560 They're creating high quality, eco friendly tech products at lower prices. 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:50.839 They also include an e waste bag with every product 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:53.960 that you buy, So basically, this little plastic bag is inside. 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:56.280 You dump all your old cables and gadgets in there, 0:04:56.480 --> 0:04:58.880 and then you mail it in. They will properly dispose 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:01.440 of this old stuff for you. But if you're like me, 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:03.560 you can't give up any old cables, so they just 0:05:03.600 --> 0:05:06.320 collect in a drawer in your house. I've got lots 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:09.119 of them now. The Wireless travel Kit works in two ways. 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:10.880 You can plug it into the wall and then plug 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:14.080 in two gadgets with USB, or you can also use 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:16.840 it as a wireless charging pad, so you can charge 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.960 an iPhone at seven point five watts or Samsung and 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:23.920 Android devices at ten watts max. There's even one extra 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:26.839 USB port at the bottom even when you're wirelessly charging, 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:30.000 so you can charge one gadget wirelessly and plug another 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:33.000 one in. The Nimble device also looks and feels cool. 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:36.400 It's kind of different from all of your typical black chargers. 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:39.839 This is made from recycled water bottles. It's a gray color, 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:42.799 it's kind of fabricy feeling. It's made from organic hemp 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:46.360 and plant based bioplastics. Plus you can store the USB 0:05:46.480 --> 0:05:50.800 cable right inside the device. It snaps together magnetically, hence 0:05:50.960 --> 0:05:53.640 the travel charger. That one's a cool one. Next up 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:56.440 two devices that I'm loving from Mofi. Mophy's kind of 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:58.800 the leader when it comes to all of these chargers 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:01.200 and things, but they are expended. You pay a premium 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:05.200 for these things. The charge Stream power Station Wireless XCEL 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:08.440 is basically their portable battery bank, but it also has 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:11.040 built in wireless charging. So this one looks like your 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.480 typical backup battery. If you've used one of these, It's 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:15.960 basically a battery that you plug in, you charge that 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:18.280 and then you unplug it and you can plug your 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:21.120 phone in to charge your phone. But this one also 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:23.760 has wireless charging built in, so you can just lay 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:26.680 your phone on top of it and it will charge. 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:29.320 It has a ten thousand million amp hour battery, so 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.560 it's going to charge your iPhone several times. That model 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.120 is one hundred dollars. They also have a six thousand 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.320 milliamp hour model for eighty dollars, but I say spend 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:41.200 the extra twenty dollars. You're almost getting double the charging 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:43.920 capacity for just twenty more dollars. One other thing I 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.080 like about the charge Stream power station wireless Excel. There 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.520 is a tiny indicator light and led light that lets 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.160 you know when your phone is charging, which is really 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.240 handy because yes, you can look on your phone and 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:57.359 see if it has the battery icon with a little 0:06:57.440 --> 0:06:59.839 charge amp on it, but it's nice to just be 0:06:59.880 --> 0:07:02.360 a to look at the charger and know that the 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:04.480 light is lit up. That means your phone is seated 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:07.800 properly and it's actually charging right. Also from Mophy the 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:10.680 charge Stream vent mount for seventy dollars. This one's for 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:13.360 your car. You pop it onto your car's air vent, 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:15.960 which by the way, my wife hates because it blocks 0:07:16.000 --> 0:07:19.160 the AC and I'm always concerned about these things in 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:20.960 the winter because you have the heat on the car, 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:22.800 so you're pumping all that heat onto the back of 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:25.240 your phone. So I usually switch to the vents in 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:27.520 the floor so my heat comes out of there. I know, 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:30.080 so complicated with all this stuff, but I don't want 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:32.320 my phone to overheat, especially when it's charging. And these 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:35.120 things are very convenient because they hold your phone in 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:37.120 a very nice place in your car so you can 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.320 see the screen. So once you pop this thing on 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:41.560 your vent, you then plug it into your car's USB 0:07:41.720 --> 0:07:44.760 poor and then you pop your phone into the holder 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.480 and it will wirelessly charge your phone. So that means 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:49.440 you can have your maps right in your view and 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:52.280 your phone is charging at the same time. My favorite 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.120 part about this thing, I love how you can place 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:56.320 your phone in and out of the holder with just 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.400 one hand. It's super easy and it's the first time 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:01.440 I've seen that, and I love it now. The only 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.760 downside for me is that I use CarPlay and Android Auto, 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:07.720 so I need to hardwire my phone into my car's 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:10.520 USB port, like plug it directly into there, so you 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:13.080 have to take that into consideration if you're thinking about 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.040 getting this one. If you want a similar setup, there's 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.440 a device called the Keynu airframe that I also like. 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:21.560 It's much cheaper and that serves a similar mounting purpose 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.920 on your vent, but that does not have the wireless 0:08:24.000 --> 0:08:26.840 charging built in, and you also can't place your phone 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:28.960 in and out with one hand. You kind of have 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:30.920 to use two hands. It takes a while each time, 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:34.240 but it works and I do like that one. And finally, 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:36.880 Bezilel they're taking the idea of a portable battery bank 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:39.720 and they're adding a useful feature which is a sticky back. 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:42.280 This way, you can stick the portable battery to your 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:46.320 phone so it stays put with nanosuction technology. Now this 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:48.840 is useful because if you've ever tried walking around with 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.360 one of these wireless portable battery packs, it can be 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:54.240 really tricky. Like I said before, your phone does need 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:56.920 to stay in a sweet spot for it to stay charging. 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.240 So Bezilel has a great idea. But this also has 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.320 to work with your case, and in my case it 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:05.360 does not because I use a case that is texthured. 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.960 My favorite case is the Spec Presidio grip and yes 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:11.240 it's super grippy and I love it, but it is 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:13.679 not smooth on the back, so it will not stick 0:09:13.720 --> 0:09:16.640 to this Bezelel sticky charger, So keep that in mind 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.760 if you're thinking about this one. The Bezelel Prelude Portable 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.400 Power Bank is five thousand million hours. It has a 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.720 fifteen watt charging Oh my gosh, it will be ninety 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.040 dollars when it officially launches. Right now, you can get 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:30.880 out on Indiegogo for half that price if you back it, 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.400 and there you have it. Some useful wireless chargers. These 0:09:34.440 --> 0:09:36.920 are some of the more unique models. You can get 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:38.960 the one that sits on your desk from a company 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:42.160 like Belkan. Those costs anywhere from thirty to sixty dollars. 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:44.120 They're even cheaper if you get one of the no 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:46.880 name models from Amazon. But just keep in mind. The 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:49.160 thing to look out for here is the charging watted. 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:51.280 You also want a high quality charger because you don't 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:53.679 want your phone to overheat or this device to overheat, 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.480 so make sure you're getting the right fit for your phone, 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:58.920 Otherwise the charge is going to be so slow it 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:00.920 will not be worth the time time that your phone 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:03.800 spends on top of this device. Thanks so much for 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:06.319 listening to the podcast. If you like it, please feel 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.600 free to share it on social media on Instagram, on Twitter, 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:12.120 on Facebook, and be sure to tag me so that 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:15.040 I can share the love that you've put out into 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:17.559 the world. About the rich on Tech podcast. If you 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:19.160 want links to everything I mentioned here, just go to 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:22.839 my website richon Tech dot tv, or check the show notes. 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:25.600 Thank you to everyone who has purchased my book one 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.440 hundred and one Handy Tech Tips for the iPhone, now 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:31.800 in paperback on Amazon. I'm rich Dimiro. Have a great day. 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:33.200 I'll talk to you real soon.