We asked SitePoint authors what developer toys they would want for Christmas, then managed to source them — without relying on Santa.
Welcome to the future. Seriously. Look around and tell me we aren’t in a time of wondrous technology. And it’s changing fast.
The Prelude by Bezalel is “The First Portable Wireless Charger” for your smartphone. It uses Qi, which is a standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium.
Why I Wanted The Prelude
I like gadgets, especially when they scratch an itch. As a professed new gadget geek, one of my nemeses is wires. Wires are the past. So, when I saw the Prelude, I told SitePoint Santa that I’d been real good this year.
The Experience So Far
Inside the box is a microUSB cable and the Prelude itself. The Prelude is small (3.54 x 3.54 x 0.78 inch or 90x90x20mm) and has a power button along with a couple of USB ports (one in, one out). The extra USB port is provided so you can charge a second device while wirelessly charging. Practical. I like that in my bleeding edge gadgets.
A second box contained a Qi-compatible case for my iPhone 6. It’s worth noting that Bezalel doesn’t seem to list the iPhone 6 as a compatible device, but it is. Also, depending on which smartphone you have, you may have to buy a receiver to attach to your phone’s battery instead of a case. Regardless, in order to take advantage of wireless charging, you need an extra accessory, which makes sense.
Once I slipped my iPhone into the case, turned on the Prelude, and set the phone on top of it, the phone started charging. That is so cool. Wires, be gone!
Bezalel claims that the Prelude will charge your phone 4 times on a single charge. Also, my iPhone charged VERY fast, gaining 15% battery life in just a few minutes.
Qi is built for interoperabilty, so as wireless charging evolves, the Prelude will stay relevant.`
Conclusion
The Prelude is neat, and I love charging sans wires. The one con is I don’t really like the case, as it’s too slippery and I feel like I am going to drop my phone. However, since Bezalel made the wise choice to use a interoperable standard, I have hope that more and more Qi-friendly cases will burst on to the scene. If you like the idea of wireless charging, the Prelude is the choice of the future.
Special Discount
Head over to Bezalel’s site and use the offer code “holidays” for 35% off your order.
Glenn GoodrichGlenn works for Skookum Digital Works by day and manages the SitePoint Ruby channel at night. He likes to pretend he has a secret identity, but can't come up with a good superhero name. He's settling for "Roob", for now.
