Apple teased a wireless charger last year that could charge up to three devices at the same time, but even though the pad was supposed to arrive earlier this year, we’ve yet to see it in actual existence. Well, Samsung has beaten Apple to the punch with its new Wireless Charger Duo, a wireless charging pad that’s capable of charging two devices at once.
Sure, it can’t charge as many devices as Apple is promising, but it’s still a step above single device wireless charging pads. The Wireless Charger Duo has two charging spots — on one side there’s a circular stand to rest a smartphone on, and the other side is flat, permitting users to lay a smartwatch or another phone on it.
On the front of the charging pad, there’s two red LED light indicators that show up whenever you’re charging a device. It also comes with a — rather large — wall adapter.
Both devices charge simultaneously, and supports up to 7.5 watts Fast Charge wireless charging output. It also accepts an input of 12 V and 2.1 A with a single USB-C port on the back. For more efficient Fast Charging, there’s a built-in fan and vent that keeps the device as well as the charger from overheating.
The Duo isn’t even the first dual charger for Samsung. The company released the Dual Wireless Charging Tray last year, but it simply was a flat charging pad. With the new product, you have the benefit of propping your smartphone up so you can easily see the screen.
Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat will be capable of charging three devices at once, such as an iPhone, AirPods in the wireless charging case, and the Apple Watch. But since different devices need different amounts of power, the pad will reportedly be able to detect which device is placed where and then supply the correct amount of power to each one. Some rumors claim the AirPower charging mat will be released in September alongside the 2018 iPhone devices, though others aren’t as confident.
Apple has yet to publicly comment on the status of the AirPower since announcing it at its event in September last year, but for now you may be able to use the Samsung charger to juice up two of your Apple devices. Of course, if you’re an Android user, you can use the Qi-supported Wireless Charger Duo to top up your smartphone and smartwatch as well.
Samsung announced the Wireless Charger Duo alongside the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Watch at its Unpacked event in New York City.
The Wireless Charger Duo is available online and in stores now, and sells for $120.
Updated August 10: Added pricing, availability and more information about the Wireless Charger Duo.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.