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Google Nexus 4 Wireless Charger on sale now, but not in UK

The Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is on sale now in the US, but isn't yet available in the UK.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read

Wireless charging for the Google Nexus 4 is here -- but not for us Brits. The Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is on sale now in the US, but isn't yet available in the UK.

The wireless charger is an orb with an angled surface, to sit the Nexus 4 on top and juice up the battery without needing to plug the phone into the charger.

Of course, you need to plug the orb into the wall -- so you're still tied to a wall socket and at least one cable.

It's a Qi inductive charger, to be precise, which means it will also charge other wirelessly chargeable gadgets such as the Nokia Lumia 920.

The orb takes about 4 hours to fully juice a Nexus 4.

Wireless charging is still in its infancy as a consumer proposition, but it's gaining ground. This year sees the announcement of the Pentax WG-3, the first camera to include wire-free power-up. It'll be great in a few years' time when everyone has a wireless device, and chargers are in restaurants and pubs and coffee shops and airport lounges and bordellos. Rumour has it that Samsung plans wireless charging in cars and coffee tables too.

The Nexus 4 Wireless Charger is on sale at Google Play in the US for $60 (£39). Sadly there's no word on when the orb will be available in the UK too. Funny how if you say a word often enough it loses all meaning. Orb. Orb. Oooooorrrrb.

Is this another sign that wireless charging is here to stay, or is the Orb just a gimmicky paperweight? And what do you think of the Nexus 4? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page. Orb orb orb.