SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Powermat helped consumers cut some power cords last year by selling mats that charge gadgets wirelessly. They weren’t seamless solutions, though, because they required add-ons like special cell phone cases.
Now, the company is trying to streamline wireless charging with a special battery that replaces the one that comes in your cell phone. Called the Powerpack, it lets users charge phones by just plopping them down on one of the company’s mats.
Powermat was announcing the Powerpack on Tuesday at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It is expected to cost $40 when it becomes available in May.
Powermat says it will show about a dozen different Powerpacks at CES that will work with more than 50 cell phones.