Novelsys Ampere's wireless charging sleeve makes a lot of sense
Headed to Kickstarter, this compact and light powerbank does away with messy wires for easy charging on the go.
There are plenty of wireless charging kits for your smartphone on the market today, but Singapore-based, California-incorporated startup Novelsys hopes you'll take a look at what they'll be offering on Kickstarter for $79 (this converts to about £50 or AU$100).
The Ampere is a compact wireless charger that solves a lot of problems with other portable solutions. It's a sleeve design that also serves as phone holder, meaning you don't need to use any workarounds to keep your phone connected to the wireless charging station. The Ampere is also slim enough to fit in your pocket alongside your phone. It's a universal solution for both iOS and Android phones.
Powered by a 2,700mAh battery, which, to be honest, isn't much. The leather-clad Ampere is just 0.6-inches thick (15mm). The powerbank can also charge another device using a wire simultaneously, though this will drain the small battery even faster.
Each powerbank comes with a special wireless reciever patch. For iPhone users, you'll get a slim case as well, and it's designed in a manner to let you easily and quickly free up the Lightning port should you need to use it. Samsung users will just need to attach a patch to the inside of their cases to enable wireless charging. Nexus and Nokia Lumia handsets with built-in Qi wireless charging will have no need for the patch.
To keep things interesting, Novelsys has also developed a nifty companion app for the Ampere. This app lets you monitor battery levels of the powerbank, control when charging starts and even use your phone to locate the powerbank should you misplace it.
I spoke to Novelsys's CEO Kenneth Lou, who showed me the prototype designs as well as an almost finished product, and I was impressed with the build quality so far. Lou says the company will be keeping production in Singapore, to ensure quality control, as opposed to manufacturing it in China.
To back this project, you can head over to their Kickstarter page here. 100 early birds will be able to purchase the Ampere at a discounted $59. Novelsys is hoping to raise $60,000 during the month-long campaign, with the funds used for ordering components as well set up an assembly line for the manufacturing process.
