Kanex to debut portable Apple Watch charger that fits on keychain, standalone charging stand

AppleInsider · December 29, 2016 10:57PM

Third-party vendor Kanex plans to expand its GoPower Apple Watch accessory lineup at CES next year with a new ultra-portable charger small enough to be carried comfortably on a keyring and a self-contained charging stand.

When it debuts at CES in January, the GoPower Watch Mini promises to be one of the smallest and most portable Apple MFi certified Apple Watch chargers on the market.

Fitted into a chassis not much larger than Apple's magnetic inductive charging puck is a 1,000 mAh battery good for one full Apple Watch charge, a fuel gauge and built-in keychain loop for easy carry. Like wired chargers, the GoPower Watch Mini intelligently starts the charging process when its magnetic puck makes contact with an Apple Watch.

The Watch Mini will sell for $59.95 when it launches in February.

Kanex is also bringing its own charging stand to market for Watch owners who have yet to find a suitable dock among the plethora of designs already available from other manufacturers. Dubbed the GoPower Watch Stand, the charger is powered by an included DC adapter and features an extra USB port for simultaneously juicing up an iPhone or iPad.

The GoPower Watch Stand is priced at $79.95 and also goes on sale in February.

At launch, the two new products will join Kanex's initial Apple Watch offering, the GoPower Watch portable battery. Armed with a 4,000 mAh internal battery and the same magnetic inductive technology as Apple's first-party chargers, the portable pack is good for up to six full charges. It also features a USB port for recharging other devices.

Normally priced at $100, the GoPower Watch is on sale now for $79.99 from B&H Photo.

tbehunin · December 30, 2016 12:26AM

omg is this really an issue with Apple Watch owners - that we need to carry a charger for it? If my Apple Watch battery dies, I... pull out my phone!

metriacanthosaurus · December 30, 2016 12:27AM

No thanks, no more batteries that charge your batteries that you have to charge later. That's not innovation. Its giving you some other hideous thing to carry, which still eventually has to be charged.

edited December 2016

emoeller · December 30, 2016 12:50AM

Apple really should build the wireless charger into their iPhone battery case (my 38mm stainless watch with band would slide right over my iPhone 7). Since I always have both the iPhone and Watch with me it would be perfect to recharge at the end of the day.

larrya · December 30, 2016 12:57AM

tbehunin said:

omg is this really an issue with Apple Watch owners - that we need to carry a charger for it? If my Apple Watch battery dies, I... pull out my phone!

Just curious - if a person is counting steps, and the AW dies, does counting continue from the phone? What level of sophistication is there with handing off duties when the watch dies?

soli · December 30, 2016 1:27AM

Metriacanthosaurus said:

No thanks, no more batteries that charge your batteries that you have to charge later. That's not innovation. Its giving you some other hideous thing to carry, which still eventually has to be charged.

Batteries that charge other batteries are going to get more common. Tesla's Powerwall is exactly that as you're home will be filled with all sorts of mobile devices with batteries or even appliances with capacitors that hold a charge.

soli · December 30, 2016 1:30AM

larrya said:

tbehunin said:

omg is this really an issue with Apple Watch owners - that we need to carry a charger for it? If my Apple Watch battery dies, I... pull out my phone!

Just curious - if a person is counting steps, and the AW dies, does counting continue from the phone? What level of sophistication is there with handing off duties when the watch dies?

As far as I can tell they are counted independently. Meaning, the Activity app on your iPhone only shows what the Apple Watch has completed. I wish we were at a point where in power save mode the accelerometer could still be running.

metriacanthosaurus · December 30, 2016 1:55AM

Soli said:

Metriacanthosaurus said:

No thanks, no more batteries that charge your batteries that you have to charge later. That's not innovation. Its giving you some other hideous thing to carry, which still eventually has to be charged.

Batteries that charge other batteries are going to get more common. Tesla's Powerwall is exactly that as you're home will be filled with all sorts of mobile devices with batteries or even appliances with capacitors that hold a charge.

They have become more common, doesn't mean they are good products or good ideas. They are a stop gap measure until near-field true wireless charging becomes mainstream. Apple will be the first to make it mainstream, as they are with almost every core technology in the mobile field.

soli · December 30, 2016 2:39AM

Metriacanthosaurus said:

Soli said:

Metriacanthosaurus said:

No thanks, no more batteries that charge your batteries that you have to charge later. That's not innovation. Its giving you some other hideous thing to carry, which still eventually has to be charged.

Batteries that charge other batteries are going to get more common. Tesla's Powerwall is exactly that as you're home will be filled with all sorts of mobile devices with batteries or even appliances with capacitors that hold a charge.

They have become more common, doesn't mean they are good products or good ideas. They are a stop gap measure until near-field true wireless charging becomes mainstream. Apple will be the first to make it mainstream, as they are with almost every core technology in the mobile field.

Even if that is ever a reality in your lifetime for all the devices that have batteries, we're still moving closer to more localized power storage. Do you think Apple's Campus 2 is antediluvian because it has fuel cells for its solar panels?

jdmac29 · December 30, 2016 3:40AM

I can't see any of this as something needed. I had the original charger that came with the watch and I purchased one extra cable that I put in my work bag or leave it in my truck when I am out. I get 2 full days battery life on my series 2 even when I work out.

bestkeptsecret · December 30, 2016 5:37AM

I think it is a pretty neat product for people who need it. While I've never had any problems with the charge on my Watch, it is nice to have an emergency supply handy. The fact that it can fit on a key-ring means there really isn't too much space taken up.

I won't be buying it, but it is a clever product.

christopher126 · December 30, 2016 5:45AM

Hmmmm. I have an Apple charger at home. It's a bit expensive at $80, but looks great and works great. I know it's a little thing, but I love just placing my Apple watch on it and it "clicks." I don't have to look for the port as I do on my iPhone and iPad Mini.

I keep the charger that came w/ the Apple Watch at work just in case it goes too low for an evening run. The Apple Watch does charge fast though.

I also bought one for my daughter b/c she travels, so she can keep the cable one in her bag and the Apple stand charger on her bedside.

I'm thinking about getting another one for my desk at work. Everything is white in my office and it would look sharp.

Can't wait for the iPhone and iPads to charge like the Apple Watch.

Best.

soli · December 30, 2016 5:45AM

AppleInsider said:

Fitted into a chassis not much larger than Apple's magnetic inductive charging puck is a 1,000 mAh battery good for one full Apple Watch charge, a fuel gauge and built-in keychain loop for easy carry.

Huh?! I can't imagine there's that much loss from using inductive charging.

38mm: 205 mAh (Series 0 & 1), 273 mAh (Series 2)
42mm: 246 mAh (Series 0 & 1), 334 mAh (Series 2)

soli · December 30, 2016 5:52AM

christopher126 said:

I know it's a little thing, but I love just placing my Apple watch on it and it "clicks." I don't have to look for the port as I do on my iPhone and iPad Mini.

That's why I wish the Smart Connector from the iPad Pro had made it into the back of iDevices right above the Lightning port. You'd then be able to easily dock for charging about as easily as you can plug in MagSafe. This is also a benefit with removing charging items from a dock. I have a heavy dock with a semi-adhesive bottom yet I still have to hold the dock to remove the iPhone.

georgebmac · December 30, 2016 10:05AM

I've been wearing an Apple Watch from the time I wake in the morning to when I go to bed at night since September -- including 1-2 hours a day monitoring my heart rate during exercise -- and have only had a single instance of the battery running low before I was ready for bed

fallenjt · December 30, 2016 4:21PM

Who needs this? Unless you're on a trip with no access to power for more than 2 days, this's pretty much useless.

macgui · January 1, 2017 4:43PM

bestkeptsecret said:

I think it is a pretty neat product for people who need it. While I've never had any problems with the charge on my Watch, it is nice to have an emergency supply handy. The fact that it can fit on a key-ring means there really isn't too much space taken up.
I won't be buying it, but it is a clever product.

I agree. A lot of Watchers won't need it, but it's nice to have the option for those who do/will. I know a few people with the 38mm Watch, and with a daily workout, they need to charge to make it through the end of the day. Some just need it to make it through the end of the workday, and might not need this.

The Watch Stand is nice too. Simple clean design, and it appears that the power cord is hidden between the charging inductor and base. I like that.

Kanex to debut portable Apple Watch charger that fits on keychain, standalone charging stand

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