Apple may not be our favorite company here at Android Authority, but we gotta give it to them for coming up with the MagSafe charger; it’s about the most convenient and safe charging technology we have seen. In fact, we wonder why they haven’t applied a similar concept to their mobile devices. Regardless, someone has already beat them to the punch.
The Znaps was just introduced via Kickstarter this week, and it seems like a brilliant idea that should have come years ago. In essence, Znaps is an adapter that turns any microUSB or Lightning port into a magnetic charger. You simply plug it into your port and a small protrusion will show, but it’s so small it shouldn’t really affect you. Znaps claims you can even continue to use your cases without an issue.
The set-up can’t really be any easier. And you have no idea how convenient something like this would be. Just think about it. These are gadgets we carry every single day… and we charge them very often, too. Smartphones are prone to much more accidents than computers are, yet this MagSafe concept hasn’t been adopted by the mobile industry yet.
Interesting fact: the guys from Znaps managed to avoid a lawsuit from Apple by making an adapter for your current chargers. Making a cable would have violated Apple’s patent, and we know they are not fans of people copying them! By the way, it seems this system can do as much as the cable you are using. It supports Quick Charge 2.0, data transfers and all.
I suppose something that also has me excited is that this will probably get rid of the hassle that comes with owning devices from multiple platforms. You could probably use a microUSB charger with an adapter to power up an iPhone with with a connector, for example. The same should apply the other way around.
As the Znaps team mentions on Kickstarter, your phone would be safe from sudden pulls. Charging will be super easy (you can even plug it in without looking). Oh, and there’s the added bonus of Znaps making your phone a bit more resistant to water dunks, as it stops water from going in through the microUSB port.
The best part is that Znaps is super affordable. You can get yourself an adapter and connector for only $9 USD, and they offer a calculator which you can use to make a custom order.
There’s no plans to support USB-C just yet, but the team does claim they will work on it if this Kickstarter campaign does well… which it has. They have more than doubled their $120,000 funding goal in just a few days and still have 26 days to go.
I am in love with this thing and am pledging today. I seriously hate cables dangling around my living space. They are annoying and get damaged very easily. Not to mention the damage they can create if someone accidentally pulls them while in use! A recent Zagg study states about 48% of smartphone users live with damaged smartphones. Something like Znaps would probably help reduce that number.
Wireless charging is also great, but doesn’t offer the same charging speeds and data transfers are impossible with it. Sadly, we do still need them cables, so we should at least have better ones. Are you signing up? Hit the comments and let us know how you feel about this little accessory!
[“source – androidauthority.com”]
