Wireless chargers are cheaper than ever, making it easy to place charging pads throughout your home. But what if instead of simply placing load pads everywhere, you build them directly on the wall?
That's what Legrand imagines with the Radiant charger, which is designed to replace your power outlet with a Qi wall charger ( 9to5Mac .) It's an interesting idea with an elegant style, but also It seems limited in real practice.
First, assume that you actually have a power outlet that is conveniently located at a height close to eye level. (In my apartment, I would basically be carrying my phone by placing it behind a bookshelf.) Then, if you have a plug that is in a good place, you will have to sacrifice it by converting it into a Qi. charger. The Radiant charger is a complete replacement box for your outlet, and it's not a simple plug-and-play solution for your existing outlets, so it's a much more permanent decision than simply plugging in a regular wireless charger.
The radiant is also sold in a way that is quite inconvenient. While the charger works in a single electrical box, you can only buy it in a $ 70 package that includes a second common outlet that also has a 3.1-amp USB port. It's nice, but there are also more functional power outlet replacements with more ports that are probably worth installing once you're struggling.
The Radiant wireless charger is probably not perfect for everyone, it's good to see that companies are taking the idea of wireless charging and running it. And although this particular version may not work, it is easy to see how a more removable variant could be a good solution to have the phone on hand and load it on the counter of a table or kitchen.