Designers at Theo Elements are looking to swell the ever-growing ranks of 3rd-party wireless charging solutions on the market with Theo Power – a case fitted with a both wireless charging technology and a removable back-up battery pack.
Theo Power currently exists as a set of test models ready to work with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5/5s. The designers are aiming to raise enough funds via Kickstarter to get the product to market later this year.
The unit consists of three components: the case itself, a removable battery, and a charging pad. It's reinforced for physical protection and works with Qi-standard charging, the most common market standard for wireless charging technology on the market today. LG’s Nexus 5, HTC’s Droid DNA, and the Nokia Lumia 920 are all examples of phones that have Qi-standard wireless charging abilities built in.
Similar to the Duracell Powermat, Theo Power incorporates a battery into the design. In this case it's a slimline 1500 mAh battery (for reference, the Galaxy S4 works has a 2600 mAh battery and the iPhone 5s uses a 1560 mAh battery) that can be charged simultaneously with the phone, though the company says that its "Smart Charge" functionality will ensure that the device is charged first. The battery can also be removed from the case and charged separately, or the case and phone can be charged via both a cable and wireless charging to significantly reduce charging time.
The system also allows the case/battery to be used for charging any other device you’ve got on hand – just so long as the cord matches your port. For example, the iPhone 5/5s Theo Power case can also charge the iPad Air or iPad mini. Reserve battery levels are monitored through LED indicators on the front of the case.
Theo Power can be ordered in advance of shipping for $50 through the product’s Kickstarter page. The company has set an estimated delivery date of July 2014 for the first batch of cases. Nearer the end of the year, Theo Power will go on sale for $119.99 if it hits its crowdfunding goals.
The company's Kickstarter video pitch can be viewed below.
Source: THEO Elements,
