Belkin bets big on wireless charging for CES 2018
Belkin's big accessory focus for 2018 will be in a variety of wireless charging gadgets for your home,
workplace and car.
CES 2018 doesn't formally kick off in an official sense until 9 January 2018 with a pair of media days beforehand, but that hasn't stopped plenty of tech companies from pre-announcing their CES goodies upfront. Given the tidal wave of announcements that flows from CES, it's often a wise strategy simply to get ahead of the pack.
Belkin has announced that it's launching a range of wireless charging accessories for Qi-enabled use with a view to supporting home consumer, business and in-car usage, suitable for use with such devices as the Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, to name just a few.
The new wireless charging devices will be sold under Belkin's BOOST↑UP branding, with a few key features designed to make them stand out from the Qi charging pack. One interesting feature is that many of them claim to offer compatibility with devices that have cases up to 3mm thick on them.
In our tests of cases for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, we sometimes found heavier cases tended to block Qi charging, so it'll be fascinating to see whether Belkin's gear can overcome some of those issues.
The flagship BOOST↑UP Wireless charging stand provides 10W output to a single handset and will be available in a range of colours, with a base that should accommodate even the widest of smartphones.
The BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Car Mount does what you'd expect it to do, providing a car mount to keep your in-car phone use legal while also allowing easy access for charging your device if you're using it for heavy duty GPS work or music streaming. Like the charging stand, it provides 10W output power to compatible Qi devices.
Wireless devices have exploded in popularity in recent years, and that means that a charger for just one device might not be enough for your needs. Apple has its AirPower charging pad due for release at some point this year, but Belkin's jumping ahead with the BOOST↑UP Dual Wireless Charging Pad, capable of providing 10W output to both sides of its wide charging pad. Undoubtedly you'll have to do some careful arranging to place the relevant magnetic coils in the right spot, but if you're powering up multiple devices this could be super-handy.
If your needs for wireless charging are more in the commercial space, Belkin's also going to launch the BOOST↑UP wireless charging system for commercial or enterprise deployment, suitable for mounting into devices such as desks or conference tables.
Belkin hasn't announced precise pricing or availability for any of the new BOOST↑UP range in Australia just yet, but we're told that Australia should be amongst the first markets globally to see the new devices a little later in the year.
We'll be at CES 2018 all week reporting on all the technology news, and should be able to go hands-on with Belkin's new charging solutions while there. Stay tuned for our hands-on review.
Alex Kidman travelled to CES 2018 as a guest of Samsung.
