At the recent TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, a company called Nomad released a novel new product. The device is called the Nomad ChargeKey, and it aims to make charging your iPhone simpler. How? Take a look!
The ChargeKey
You carry around a set of car keys, right? You may even carry around car keys and house keys on the same keyring. Well, what if you could add an iPhone charger to your set of keys? An iPhone charger that's the same size as one of your house keys, can be plugged into any USB, and fits perfectly into your current iPhone - sound good?
Well, that's exactly what the ChargeKey is: a compact, key-sized, iPhone charger that's light enough to carry around, and practical enough to use when you need it. The idea here is a small iPhone charger that replaces that long and cumbersome cable. If you have an iPhone, you already know how useful the ChargeKey will be. If you're about to get an iPhone, you may want to look into purchasing a ChargeKey. Plus, this is not an expensive device.
Cost and Other Details
Sometimes new (and necessary) products come with a very high price tag. Thankfully, this is not the case with the ChargeKey. This device is priced at only $25, and that's a price that most people can live with. You can purchase the ChargeKey from the Nomad site right now too. The official ship date for the ChargeKey is November 30th, so you'll have to wait a month or so before you get your new key, but I'm guessing the wait here will be worth it.
If you're tired of your phone dying (and that tends to happen frequently with iPhones), the ChargeKey might just be the thing that you're looking for. There are other portable charging devices out there, but this one is the smallest and lightest on that I've come across thus far. Plus, the ChargeKey fits on your key chain, and that fact simply adds to the appeal of this device.
Compatibility
The one drawback to the ChargeKey is that this device only works with the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5S (it also works with the iPad Mini). If you're still rocking an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S (I get it, those contracts are a killer!), the ChargeKey isn't for you. Then again, the iPhone 5C and 5S are arriving soon, so why not upgrade? You'll get a new phone and a great charging device - it's a win-win!
Another possible drawback might be the price of this USB device. In this reviewer's opinion, $25 isn't a lot to pay for a device like this one. However, some people might find that $25 is too much to pay for a USB device - but, the choice is yours.
If you want a portable way to charge your iPhone 5 that doesn't require you to purchase an additional cumbersome cable, the ChargeKey is a great idea. What do you think? Is $25 too much for a USB charger?