Wi-fi charging has by no means actually lived as much as its lofty promise of comfort.
I’ve tried a number of chargers over time from numerous producers, together with Logitech, Belkin, Anker and Aukey, and almost each single certainly one of them endure from forcing you to exactly place the machine you’re making an attempt to cost on the pad.
For instance, Belkin’s 3-in-1 wi-fi charger works fairly properly as a result of it has particular areas for charging your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Nomad’s Base Station could be nice however in the end irritating as a result of it’s troublesome to position your machine accurately to get an satisfactory cost, particularly when you’re making an attempt to cost a smartphone. A number of instances I assumed I set my cellphone on Nomad’s Base Station correctly solely to search out my iPhone 11 Pro Max wasn’t charged in any respect within the morning.
That is the place Nomad’s new Base Station Professional comes into play. The corporate is positioning it as ushering in a brand new period of multiple-coil wi-fi charging the place you’ll be able to place any Qi-compatible machine nonetheless you need and at any angle.
It’s value noting that Zens was the primary firm to select up the place Apple’s cancelled AirPower left off. Its Liberty Wireless Charger prices €149.99 (about $234 CAD), whereas Nomad’s Base Station Professional gives related performance at a better price ticket of $229 USD (roughly $303 CAD).
Worth apart, the Base Station Professional principally delivers on its wi-fi charging guarantees. The charger appears to be like like a bigger, barely extra solid-feeling model of Nomad’s different Base Station chargers. It contains a slim design, a black leather-based high and a gray aluminum base.
There’s a USB-C port on the rear that powers the charger and can also be used for updating it. Three LEDs on the entrance point out when a tool is charging correctly. Surprisingly, to replace the Base Station Professional you might want to use a USB-C-to-USB-A cable, however after the preliminary replace, you should utilize a USB-C-to-USB-C cable. Whereas I wanted to replace my charger, Nomad says all future Base Station Professional chargers are delivery with the most recent firmware model.
As a substitute of three conventional copper charging coils, the Base Station Professional makes use of 18 coils and makes use of Aira’s FreePower wi-fi charging expertise. The Base Station Professional is exclusive as a result of Nomad embedded these coils instantly right into a 6mm thick printed circuit board, which, based on Aira, gives a greater charging connection and doesn’t require a cooling fan.
What this implies in apply is, for essentially the most half, you’ll be able to drop your Qi wi-fi charging suitable smartphone or wi-fi earbuds anyplace you need on the Base Station Professional and they’ll immediately begin charging. Consequently, you don’t must shuffle your smartphone round to search out that good placement like with different wi-fi chargers.
To be truthful, I haven’t tried the Zens Liberty but, so I can’t evaluate the Base Station Professional to its predominant competitor. That mentioned, the precise expertise of putting your cellphone on the charging pad is sort of flawless. The one concern I typically encounter is that it takes a few seconds for my smartphone to acknowledge the charger. Sadly, it’s the charging portion of the Base Station Professional that’s a little bit extra disappointing than anticipated.
Although the Base Station Professional can cost as much as three units without delay, it’s restricted to extraordinarily gradual 5W wi-fi charging for many units. Solely iPhones can cost at 7.5W, which is disappointing given the charger is being positioned as a common Qi machine. If you happen to’re charging your units in a single day this gained’t be an issue, however when you’re trying to get a fast top-up, this stage of wi-fi charging is much too gradual.
Compared, Nomad’s customary Base Station charger gives 10w charging and the Zens Liberty options 15w charging coupled with a USB-A port designed for an elective Apple Watch charging stand or for plugging in different units. It’s additionally value noting the Zens Liberty is just able to charging two units without delay in comparison with the Base Station Professional’s three.
The truth that Nomad’s Base Station Professional can’t cost the Apple Watch and doesn’t, on the very least, function a USB-C or USB-A port that permits me to plug the wearable into it with its personal charging cable is disappointing as properly. Hopefully, Nomad finally begins promoting a model of the charging pad that features an Apple Watch charger attachment, just like its customary Base Station mannequin.
Given that is solely the primary charger to function Aira’s revolutionary FreePower {hardware}, it’s troublesome to be robust on the Nomad Base Station Professional. Nonetheless, whereas this new type of much more user-friendly wi-fi charging is undeniably the way forward for the expertise, it’ll seemingly take a number of extra generations earlier than the Base Station Professional is really prepared for shoppers.
The Base Station Professional is accessible now for $229 USD (about $303 CAD).
Picture credit score: Nomad
