Samsung Rivals Apple’s AirPower With Upcoming Multi-Device Fast Charger
Newly leaked listings and photos suggest that Samsung is challenging Apple and its AirPower with a multi-device charger that could charge two gadgets at the same time.
According to a report from Engadget, the Samsung Wireless Charger Duo would allow users to quickly charge two devices at once, may it be two phones or two different types of devices, including the yet-to-be-released Galaxy Watch. While the publication noted that the Wireless Charger duo could be used as a “family charging station,” that also means it won’t have the same flexibility as the AirPower, as it would require users to place their devices on dedicated charging spots.
Samsung’s apparent answer to the Apple AirPower was leaked over the weekend by WinFuture’s Roland Quandt, who posted a photo of the Wireless Charger Duo’s packaging and noted that it “charges the Galaxy Watch alongside the phone” or two phones. Looking at the device’s setup on the packaging, it appears that the smaller charging station was designed to match the size of the Galaxy Watch, though it should also work on phones, as hinted above. While Quandt didn’t add any further details on the upcoming multi-device charger, he speculated that it might be released ahead of the AirPower.
Android Police offered a few more details on the Wireless Charger Duo, writing that the fast charging device was listed on MobileFun, though images were ultimately deleted from the site. The publication also cited Quandt, who said that MobileFun will likely be charging about £55, or $72 in U.S. dollars, for the device, and opined that the rumored price sounds reasonable for a multi-device charger with a “cool design.”
Samsung may have an answer to Apple's AirPower wireless charger https://t.co/zLFuwPHGNo
— Engadget (@engadget) July 22, 2018
While Engadget chose not to speculate on pricing, the publication agreed with Quandt’s prediction that Samsung could announce the Wireless Charger Duo before Apple’s AirPower gets unveiled to the public, with the reveal most likely to take place at the company’s August 9 media event. According to Engadget, this is because the charger appears to be marketed as a companion accessory for two unreleased Samsung devices, namely the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Watch.
As for Apple’s multi-device charger, the AirPower was announced alongside the iPhone X in the fall of 2017 and is said to be capable of simultaneously charging three devices at fast speeds, according to Gizmodo. While a late summer release was speculated, the tech site wrote that it won’t be surprising if Apple waits a bit longer before it releases the accessory, possibly around the same time the company’s new batch of iPhones becomes available.
