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Inductive chargers combine coolness and convenience like few other gadgets. Just lay your phone on a special pad and presto, it recharges–no dock, no wires, no fuss, no muss.
Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive. The Energizer Qi system I reviewed a few months back, for example, was $90 for the pad and $35 for the special case that makes the iPhone, um, inductable. Ouch.
Ah, but how does 20 bucks sound? For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Powermat Wireless Charging System PMM-1P4-B19 for iPhone 4 for $19.99, plus sales tax in most states. Shipping adds another $4 unless you take a drive to your local Best Buy brick-and-mortar store. (I’d call first to make sure they have some in stock.)
The Powermat consists of two key items: the mat itself, which is just a hair larger than the iPhone, and an iPhone 4 case.
The latter adds a bit less than half an inch of length to your handset and about a quarter inch to its depth.The weight is a mere 1.2 ounces, but overall your iPhone will feel a bit chunkier while wearing the case. That’s the price you pay for inductive charging.
(Wouldn’t it be awesome if Apple built the technology right into the iPhone 5? Yo, Apple! You listening? It would be awesome!)
You can still sync your iPhone while it’s in the Powermat case (which occupies the dock port), but you need to use the supplied Micro-USB cable.
CNET hasn’t reviewed this particular Powermat, but check the Best Buy product page for a couple of informative user reviews–both of which are extremely positive.
I’m a huge fan of inductive charging, but I was never willing to pay big bucks for the privilege. For just $20, though, this is too good to pass up.
Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments!
