BARCELONA, Spain--We stopped by Powermat's booth at Pepcom's MobileFocus Global show (which happens just before the first day of Mobile World Congress) and found that the company was showing off a new prototype of a wireless charging case for Apple's iPhone 5.
Like the Powermat Receiver Case designed for the iPhone 4 and 4S, the iPhone 5 version will let you put your smartphone on a wireless inductive charger from Powermat, but it isn't quite as thick as the older model.
It does, however, have a strange design, with two gaping holes at the bottom of where the case plugs into the iPhone 5's Lightning port. According to Powermat, this odd-looking design is because of the actual Lightning connector being longer than the old 30-pin model, but Powermat claims that this device is the thinnest on the market.
Being superthin does have its advantages, Powermat has added what it calls a Snap-on battery with a charge of 1,950mAh that (you guessed it) snaps onto the yet named iPhone 5 case (Powermat informs us that it is still working on a proper name). A spokesperson called the combo a "snap and case" but that didn't really sound official to my ears.
Due in spring in the U.S., the Powermat and battery pack will retail for $99.99 combined, or if you just want the case, that's priced at $49.99
