ZENS AirPower-Like Liberty Wireless Charger With 16 Coils Now Available to Order

[roar08]

Love my nomad pad which does the same thing...nice having just one cable for 3 things.

I've been using the Nomad since March -- it's fantastic.
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I think a main reason AirPower was canceled was flawed design: you couldn't charge your watch if you used a sport loop or many other types of bands unless you removed the band. The Nomad (and other charging mats) have a popup watch charger which solves this problem.

 

[69Mustang]

Wireless charging mats are such a gimmick. You can’t use your phone normally whilst charging like you can if it’s plugged in and if you have a case on your phone like most, it won’t charge properly (if at all).

This isn't true. It's never been true. As long as the case isn't metal, wireless charging works with most of them. If it works with an Otterbox Defender (it does) it's going to work with the vast majority of cases that aren't as thick.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Instead of stuffing dozens of coils into a small space, why not use alignment magnets to ensure the device and coil are properly aligned every time. That should be part of the QI standard. Like Palm did with the Palm Pre and Pixi wireless chargers way back in 2009. It was a much more elegant solution.

 

[Khedron]

I really don't get why people would be willing to pay so much more for the slight advantage...

Apple users.

 

[chucker23n1]

That's no longer true. Advances in wireless charging have improved to the point where it can be faster than a wired charge.

How fast is HUAWEI's 27W wireless charging tech?

We test the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro's 27W wireless charging technonly to see just how quickly it can charge the handset versus other industry charging standards.

www.androidauthority.com

Is it more detrimental to the battery over time? Idk. That's not the argument you made. I'm refuting your slow energy transfer method claim. It ain't true anymore.

From that article:

• 27W wireless charging – 90 minutes
• 40W SuperCharge – 66 minutes
• (~12W) USB Power Delivery / Quick Charge 3.0 – 124 minutes

The headline here is that 27W wireless charging is actually faster at charging the Huawei Mate 30 Pro than both USB Power Delivery and Quick Charge 3.0 accessories. A whole 34 minutes faster.

Uh. Is that the headline?

(That's a fairly long headline.)

The conclusion I would draw is: you need 125% more energy to charge 38% faster.

I really don't get how either the author or you can draw "it's faster than a wired charge" from that. A 12W wireless charger would absolutely not be faster than a wired charge.

 

[ZipZap]

I only see prices listed in pounds. Are pounds are US dollar the same? Don't think so. Making this 189 * 1.3

 

[69Mustang]

I really don't get how either the author or you can draw "it's faster than a wired charge" from that.

I stated the 27W wireless charger CAN be faster than a wired charger and that's absolutely true. The 27W WC charges the Mate 30 Pro in 1hr30m. The 18w wired charger that ships with the 11 Pro charges it in 1hr42m and the 11 Pro Max in 1hr57m.

How is that not an instance where wireless charging can be faster than wired?

A 12W wireless charger would absolutely not be faster than a wired charge.

I don't think anyone made a claim that it would.

 

[Vjosullivan]

Apple cancelling it after probably throwing obscene amounts of money at it trying to make it work must say something about the safety and feasibility of these airpower-like products.

No, it just says that Apple isn't some kind of magic, omniscient god of engineering but a collection of people, management and processes that occupy the same real world as the rest of us and have a track record of producing both successful products and cock-ups just like any other company of that size.

 

[compwiz1202]

Wireless charging is so painfully slow, it feels like a significant downgrade from cable connected charging stations.

It's Apple that's slow still at 7.5W. Phones and chargers exist that do at least 30W.

 

[Vjosullivan]

Based on the reaction here on MR forums when AirPower was canceled, you would have thought it was the end of Apple, or at least the beginning of the end.

Nine months later the stock has gone from $190 to $300 🤷‍♂️

I think it's a bit of a stretch to claim that cancelling AirPower has resulted in the near doubling of Apple's share price.

 

[chucker23n1]

I stated the 27W wireless charger CAN be faster than a wired charger and that's absolutely true. The 27W WC charges the Mate 30 Pro in 1hr30m. The 18w wired charger that ships with the 11 Pro charges it in 1hr42m and the 11 Pro Max in 1hr57m.

How is that not an instance where wireless charging can be faster than wired?

Because it requires way more energy, rather than the same amount?

 

[Anarchy99]

if its out for order now it cant be like airpower.

to have that moniker i expect months/years of hype and quiet pitiful cancelation

 

[kurosov]

And then I'll wait another couple of months to see if these don't catch fire. Apple cancelling it after probably throwing obscene amounts of money at it trying to make it work must say something about the safety and feasibility of these airpower-like products.

Keep in mind what apple wanted to build was far more complex than shoving a bunch of coils together.

They wanted the pad to know what was on it, where it was on the pad and have every devices charging status displayed on the phone as they were placed on the pad. They wanted it to be as energy efficient as possible and not have all coils powered.

It's likely they considered it a failure because they could't get those things working well enough rather than simply not being able to get s coil array working.

 

[69Mustang]

Because it requires way more energy, rather than the same amount?

No one is arguing the amount of energy it takes. How fast it charges is the argument. Can a wireless charger charge faster than a wired charger. The answer is yes. Charging at a higher rate uses more energy. That's true with just about anything. I honestly don't even know what point you're trying to make here. Sorry.

 

[manu chao]

Is it really that hard to place your phone on a fairly broad location?

Is it really that hard to be honest in one's comparisons? It's one thing to say that one doesn't really care about a particular feature (place-anywhere), it's another thing to imply that several companies have achieved what Apple tried to with AirPower. Who do you think you are fooling with that?

 

[Eksoccer99]

AirPower 2021, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

 

[PastaPrimav]

Why do the coils have to be round? Can't they make one gigantic rectangle coil so that it fits the whole area? Or at least several smaller ones do they don't overlap and cause heating issues.

Because the Qi standard is absolute garbage that needs to replaced ASAP.
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Love my nomad pad which does the same thing...nice having just one cable for 3 things.

The Nomad does NOT do the same thing. I have the Nomad pad, and I spend more time trying to place the iPhone in the right spot than I would spend plugging in a cable.

The concept has not held up to reality.

This product, after having used the Nomad, has my full attention.

 

[doctor-don]

Wow, 180$ charger. I’ll use cables for that crazy price.

Wireless charger I ordered from Anker costs under $20. Will have to determine its charging capabilities since it is for a gift.

This article contains nothing as to how long it will take to charge a particular item.

 

[satinsilverem2]

I think a main reason AirPower was canceled was flawed design: you couldn't charge your watch if you used a sport loop or many other types of bands unless you removed the band. The Nomad (and other charging mats) have a popup watch charger which solves this problem.

This was always in my mind about AirPower too. I have the link bracelet and loop. I loved the idea then i though of having to remove one part of the band just to get it to lay flat. I think apple knew that and it played a major factor in cancelling it.

 

[DeanL]

And then I'll wait another couple of months to see if these don't catch fire. Apple cancelling it after probably throwing obscene amounts of money at it trying to make it work must say something about the safety and feasibility of these airpower-like products.

The problem with you comment is that it assumes that just because Apple has billions, it can create anything. Money isn't everything. Most of the time, small start ups come up with groundbreaking products. Therefore it's highly possible a small company will achieve what Apple couldn't.

 

[coolfactor]

Wireless charging is so painfully slow, it feels like a significant downgrade from cable connected charging stations.

It's a different take on charging. It's not meant to be a fast-charging solution, but one that sits next to you while you're working or watching TV or sleeping. Time is secondary to the convenience with this type of charger. I much prefer this over having to disconnect a cable every time I stand up and want to grab my phone, and then reconnect when I return to my desk.

 

[seek3r]

Because the Qi standard is absolute garbage that needs to replaced ASAP.

Er, with what? None of the "totally wireless, just carry your device into the room" type solutions are anywhere near production ready.

Qi works fine for most people for what it's good at: a charger on your desk, nightstand, etc, where you want to just drop your phone in and let it charge while you do other things, like sleep or work. I greatly prefer my charging puck on my nightstand and the upright ones on my desk than I do cables in those places.

 

[beanbaguk]

Is it really that hard to be honest in one's comparisons? It's one thing to say that one doesn't really care about a particular feature (place-anywhere), it's another thing to imply that several companies have achieved what Apple tried to with AirPower. Who do you think you are fooling with that?

OK, if "place anywhere" is genuinely worth $140+ to you, then carry on and please yourself with one of these.

Personally, I'd rather spend $140 on something a little more useful or interesting.

 

[Swift]

that’s a really nice way to put an utter engineering fail... there was nothing smart about failing to launch a product that you announced.

Apple doesn't release it's failures, like Samsung does.

 

[Swift]

If your engineering/design projects never fail, you're not being adventurous enough.
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I have had a phone with wireless charging for years now but never made the switch. As an iPad user I am already plugging a device in at night. Adding a phone to what I plug in is not that much more effort so never made the space on the nightstand. I like the look of this product however with the exposed coils. It’s something that would fit my style but its a pass until I can go fully wireless.

Who says you only can send power through the magnetic spectrum? Distance limitations. Through UV? Tesla didn't know how to do it, but having a household mesh network of power is something that we really want to have. We'll get there.