So, here's the deal. I'm an iPhone4 junkie, probably due to the continued problem of my addiction to Social Media, but that's a whole different post for a WHOLE different time. My life lives in my phone including all my contacts, my ever evolving editorial calendar, my RunKeeper, music, movies, photos, and maps. If I'm out and about without my phone or the battery dies, I really just feel well... naked. In public. No bueno.

In other words? I like to keep my phone charged and I like for it to be an easy process. Walking in the house with groceries, kids, and backpacks I, often, forget to take my phone out of my purse to charge it and this can be a problem since we've opted to use my iPhone as our primary number. No landline folks. Just recently, however, I've got in the habit of placing it on my new Energizer iPhone 4 Charger. Yes. I said PLACING it ON, not PLUGGING it IN.


About the Energizer Inductive Charger:

Next generation charging technology for smartphones has arrived with the Energizer® Inductive Charger. It offers an easy and convenient way to charge smartphones without cords and cables. This advanced technology features Qi (pronounced chee), the new universal standard for inductive charging, so it will power up devices like smartphones now and in the future regardless of manufacturer. The Energizer® Inductive Charger is designed to work with Qi-enabled devices, whether Qi is built into the device or the device has a Qi accessory.

Charger Features:

• Delivers easy, convenient, cord-free charging for the iPhone® 4, iPhone® 3GS/3G and BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 via sleeve and door accessories
• Offers large inductive charging areas with additional USB charging port
• Is compatible with Qi-enabled devices today and in the future; Qi is an open source standard for products defined for 5 watts of power or less (e.g., phones, mp3 player, cameras)
• Provides freedom of placement within the two large inductive charging areas
• Does not contain magnets for alignment, so charging doesn’t require precise placement
• Features a sleek, rounded rectangle design with LED charge indicators

Momma Findings:

Okay, I've got all the "specs" out of the way here and now I want you to SEE what I'm talking about in easy-to-understand terms. You ready? Did you guys ever see the Powermats? I thought they were SO cool and I really wanted one, but then I realized you had to attach some bulky receiver or an iPod dock that really just defeated the purpose for me.

So, the Energizer Inductive Qi-Enabled Charger is like a Powermat, but SO much better. Actually, I'll go with the word sleeker and to be honest? If I had a choice between the Inductive Charger or the Powermat? Well, I'd go with the Inductive, not because they sent me one free of charge, but because it's Energizer. That's a Brand I've trusted for YEARS now and I know their products are made to last.

That being said, let's get down and dirty with the details.

What to expect?

You can expect to buy two items to get started. You'll need the actual charging base and the Qi sleeve for your phone.

It's available for BlackBerry Curve 8900, iPhone 3GS/3G, and iPhone 4. The good news? You can charge other devices, like an iPod Touch, MP3 Players, Cameras, or other phones by using the USB plug in the back. That's what we do for my daughter's iPod Touch (Well, MY iPod Touch, but my 7-yr-old thinks it's hers).

How Does It Work?

So, you've got the sleeve and the charger. What now? How does this thing work? Well really quite easy. You plug in the charger base, insert the sleeve to your device, place the device on the pad, and you're in business. The sleeve works like an iPod dock or maybe even your iHome radio.


Placing the phone on the charger is simple and gives you freedom of placement within the two charging areas. It doesn't contain magnets for alignment, so you don't have to precisely place in one spot. My Palm Pre Plus  was like that. *Sigh* The olden days of the Palm Pre. Yeah. I don't miss 'em now that I have my iphone4. I thought the charger for the Palm Pre was SO cool, but placing it there JUST the right way grew old.


Momma Improvements:

I'm lovin' the convenience of simply placing my phone down and voila! Charged. I do, however, have a few things that I feel might need to be mentioned should you be purchasing the Energizer Inductive Charger.

Qi-Enable Accessories: I'm disappointed that there aren't more phone sleeves available. I'm sure there WILL be in the future, however, I'd love to have a sleeve for the iPod or other phones we plan to buy. Yes. I love my iPhone 4, but we need something for the kids when the babysitter is here and you can bet it won't be an iPhone.

iPhone4 Sleeve: I wasn't sure I'd even keep the sleeve on my phone, because I'm all Otterbox ALL the time. You jut gotta be with 3 children under the age of 8 grabbin' it up to play Angry Birds. Lately, however, I've kept the sleeve on while out and about and really quite happy with that, but the reason I began doing it is because it's a little difficult to insert the phone in the sleeve and even more difficult to take it out. It's a really tight fit and you have to maneuver it exactly in place. Once on, however, it's snug and ready to go.

The Investment: You've gotta decide when you're in the market for chargers. For a family of 5 on a budget, it would best costly having to buy the charging pad and sleeves for your phone. You're looking at $125.00+ just for those two, but for me? I'm at home 80% of the time, so I'd rather have this than say a car charger. Do I think it's worth it? Yes. Even my youngest child uses it when he knows my phone is about to die. He simply places it and says, "I got it chargin' for ya Momma." 

Final Findings:


At the end of the day, the Energizer Inductive Charger has made it so much easier to charge my phone. I'm wrangling enough during the day, I shouldn't have to find an outlet to plug in my phone. It's helped me create a space in my home to charge all electronics, a docking station. If my daughter is looking for the iPod, she knows exactly where to find it. Husband needs to boot up the phone as soon as he walks in? He can take 3 steps and place it on the charger. It's easy, convenient, and plain cool.  

Buy It:

You can purchase the Inductive Qi-Enabled Charger base for the suggested retail prices of $89.00 and Qi accessories for Blackberry and iPhone 3G/3GS/4 for $34.99 at stores like Target or Best Buy. DEAL ALERT: Amazon has the Energizer Inductive Charger for $72.92!



This post made possible by Energizer and representing PR agency, who provided me with the charger and sleeve to facilitate this review. Opinions stated are always my own and never wavered by products received or compensated unless, otherwise, stated. In short? I won't say I like it if I really don't.

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