Samsung may have found an answer to Apple's AirPower wireless charger. The South Korean electronics company is allegedly planning to release a two-in-one wireless charger for its smartphones and the rumored Galaxy Watch.
This accessory, named the Wireless Charger Duo, has leaked ahead of Samsung's Unpacked event on Aug. 9, where it's expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 9. While rumors must always be taken with a grain of salt, the box looks characteristically in line with Samsung's design choices, with the front featuring its signature typeface and the icons outlined in blue.
Samsung Wireless Charger Duo
The box reveals that the charger can power up either two Qi-capable phones at the same time, or one phone and one Galaxy Watch. Both charging pads support fast wireless charging, to boot. By contrast, the AirPower is capable of charging three devices at a time: an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and an AirPods charging case.
Apple AirPower
The Wireless Charger Duo is obviously tasked to compete with the AirPower, which hasn't been released yet even though it's almost a year since it was first announced. A Bloomberg report says it might not ship until September over numerous technical hurdles. Apple apparently had difficulty making sure the charger doesn't overheat.
Because Samsung's accessory can only charge two devices at a time, it will most certainly be cheaper than the AirPower, which will ultimately lend it an edge in the wireless charger market. It's a very niche product from the looks of it, though — to truly take full advantage of it, one would need to have both a Qi-capable Galaxy phone and a Galaxy Watch, and even if they do have both, there's a chance these customers will go for cheaper alternatives out there anyway. In any case, it'll be interesting to see how both the Wireless Charger Duo and the AirPower perform side-by-side.
Wireless Charger Duo Price
According to Roland Quandt, who leaked the image from MobileFun, the accessory is going to cost GBP 55, which is around $72. That's not a totally egregious price for a wireless charger, but still pretty expensive. For sure, there are decent alternatives already in the market, but they probably won't be as polished as Samsung's design.
Would you buy the Wireless Charger Duo or the AirPower? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
