Nomad bundles Apple Watch adapter with free-placement Base Station Pro

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2020
Nomad's groundbreaking Base Station Pro is about to begin shipping, but after initial feedback, the company has opted to bundle an optional Apple Watch charging adapter with orders pro bono.

Nomad Base Station Pro with Apple Watch adapter
Nomad Base Station Pro with Apple Watch adapter


When we reviewed the Base Station Pro, we were very impressed with the wireless charger's ability to power up any Qi-enabled device almost anywhere on the surface. It was surprisingly freeing to merely toss a device down on its padded leather surface and see it start charging after just a few moments.






We found it a suitable AirPower replacement but noted the absence of any Apple Watch charger. Other Nomad Base Station products have integrated charging pucks, but the first Base Station Pro was focused purely on the FreePower charging surface. Many readers agreed and responded that some form of Apple Watch charging is a must.

It seems Nomad was listening.

Nomad Base Station Pro Apple Watch adapter
Nomad Base Station Pro Apple Watch adapter


While it isn't the fully integrated MFi charging puck we'd hoped for, Nomad is offering a free Apple Watch adapter to purchasers. This allows users to insert their own magnetic charging puck into a machined aluminum unit that clicks onto the back of the Base Station Pro.

You still have to run a separate USB cable for the watch, but the adapter blends it all in nicely to create a better user experience than having your watch placed elsewhere on a desk or nightstand.

Users who already preordered the Nomad Base Station Pro should be receiving an email from Nomad letting them know that the Apple Watch adapter has bundled with their order. New orders will see an option to include the free adapter at checkout through Nomad's website.

Nomad Base Station Pro with Apple Watch adapter
Nomad Base Station Pro with Apple Watch adapter


Additionally, Nomad has already pushed a firmware update for early units of the Base Station Pro that will be live on shipping units. This firmware update works on both Mac and PC and brings improvements to device detection speed, improved support for Samsung and Google devices, and improved charging performance when two or three devices charge simultaneously.

The fact Nomad is already pushing out performance updates is positive as they refine the user experience.

Where to buy

The Nomad Base Station Pro is available to preorder now for $229 with shipping starting in September. Due to the number of parts required for the Base Station Pro, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, initial supply might be tight and the first batch of units has already been sold out.

Nomad's new Apple Watch adapter will be shipping separately and should be available in December.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    commentsfcommentsf Posts: 47member
    No.

    With all due respect, anyone interested in buying this, please, save your $230.00

    I wasn't going to comment here, especially because I do want anyone who tip their toes in any manufacturing business (especially for accessories designed for Apple products) to succeed, but the "Pro" moniker is simply irritating as fuck - and is clearly being tossed in here just to incite purchase of a more "professional" product.

    Even though I appreciate the fact the makers are mailing the Apple Watch adapter to the owners of this base station (I really do, points for you, the makers) - the fact you have to run your own magnetic Apple Watch charger cable on the base to make it work is far from making it a Pro product, especially when the asking price is a mind blowing $230 dollars - no matter how well constructed it might be.

    Do yourself a favor and go to Alibaba express  and search for a all in one docks. I like this one,- is not a "mat" but it does a much better job than one. And it's $ 30! Plus it has the built in watch adapter with the flat angle, unlikely some docs where the watch will be simply be too heavy and slide off (stay away from these). You can even have ones with Apple AirPod dock (for older AirPod without Wireless charge capacity). All shipped from the US (changed the filter to show me only products  from shipped form US.
    .
    My point is, don't be using "Pro" on your product's name when it's missing this huge feature on it.  You are really thinking that Pro users (you know, the ones your Marking team was supposedly trying to market it to) cannot run simple Google searches).

    My 2 cents

    edited September 2020
  • Reply 2 of 4
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 833member
    With all due respect... you're irritated by a "Pro" moniker but recommending a 3-in-1 charger with no meaningful specs posted, no reviews and a retail price that's less than a charging puck for Apple Watch? Thanks, but that'll be a hard pass for me. 

    That said, even as an admirer and repeat buyer of Nomad products, I'm not sure what they were thinking with shipping the Base Station Pro at this price point without an integrated charging puck for the Watch, especially since it was included on the previous Base Station Apple Watch Edition that I own. It's nice that they've now decided to include an adaptor for the Watch, but it requires the user to power the puck separately via a second rather than having the puck hardwired into Base Station already. And anytime you're adding wires to a "wireless" product, this is NOT selling point. 


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 4
    citpekscitpeks Posts: 246member
    Nice gesture on the part of Nomad, but the real solution is for Apple to move away from the proprietary charger that the Watch requires, and make it compatible with standard Qi chargers like the rest of Apple's wireless-charging products are.

    The Watch's charging scheme is based on the Qi standard anyway, but software modified to restrict it to Apple's chargers, and not pair with others;.

    That forces Nomad, and other accessory makes to make a choice -- either force the user to provide their own charger puck, and only provide provisions for a place for it in their designs, or obtain the certified component through the MFi program, pay the piper, build the cost into the product, and raise the price accordingly.

    It's something they have little control over, and yet they get to bear the brunt of user complaints, in the simple quest to provide tidy charging solutions for users.

    The same situation was already played out with the 30-pin dock, and Lighting, with cheap solutions being BYO, and ready-made MFi solutions costing more to account for the component costs.

    At least when Apple went wireless charging with iPhones, it (mostly) followed the industry standard, Qi, but with one notable exception, the Watch.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    commentsfcommentsf Posts: 47member


    charlesn said:
    With all due respect... you're irritated by a "Pro" moniker but recommending a 3-in-1 charger with no meaningful specs posted, no reviews and a retail price that's less than a charging puck for Apple Watch? Thanks, but that'll be a hard pass for me. 

    ——

    That’s exactly why I’m irritated - the products I listed as an example do Not have the PRO moniker -  and they DO have a Apple Watch charger built in, no extra puck necessary. My point is, these devices, with no PRO MONIKER do much more than the $230 NOMAD PRO charger mat does. 

    Plus I purchased one and it does what is supposed to do - and I spent $30. 

    If this mat was $50 even $60 dollars, I might have a different opinion. But $230 with no Apple Watch charger built in, meh, hard pass for me 


    edited September 2020
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