IKEA Nordmärke made of bamboo and textile
IKEA has been releasing wireless chargers for many years. Almost all of them have a plus sign to indicate where you should put your iPhone. They also almost all look like a round disc, with your choice of the Livboj series (cheap at £4.99) and the Nordmärke series (slightly more expensive at £19.99). In addition, IKEA has a number of lamps, where the charger is built into the foot, but they are a lot more expensive. This new charger in the IKEA Nordm'rke series seems to have been made for home workers: it allows you to stand your iPhone upright so that you can read the screen well and have a good view during video calls. It costs €12.99.
Like IKEA's previous wireless chargers, this one only works on 5 Watts, so relatively slow. It must therefore mainly have its appearance, with a base of bamboo veneer and a back plate covered with fabric. “A stylish look that fits nicely with the rest of your interior”, IKEA thinks. You can put it on your bedside table so you can see what time it is. Or on your desk, to be able to read notifications immediately. If necessary in the kitchen, when reading a recipe or while stirring in the pan.
It is also handy that you can place the iPhone horizontally or vertically against the back plate. The charger is Qi certified and suitable for iPhone 8 and newer. Android users must have at least a Samsung S6, or another suitable device. IKEA already announced new wireless chargers that were covered with fabric this spring, but we haven't seen them on the online shelves yet.
This new, not yet officially announced desktop charger is already online and costs €12.95. Given the new import duties, it may be attractive to toss one in your shopping cart the next time you go furniture shopping, instead of waiting for a package from China.
Last week we wrote about another new product at IKEA, a smart air purifier that will receive support for HomeKit in due course.
Hint: David, thank you!