TYLT made its name with cool wireless chargers, but it’s bringing the cords back and trying to to improve upon the current charging conventions with its new device. The Energi desktop charging station launched recently on IndieGoGo to hook people up with a high-speed USB hub that can charge 5 devices at the same time.
The five-USB-port charger plugs into the wall to provide power for all your devices. From there, it utilizes SmartDetect technology to reach the maximum charging rate for each individual device. Devices can charge at their top speeds simultaneously, even if they operate at a different peak. Four of the five ports can output 2.4 Amp, which should fill the battery bar at more than twice the speed of a standard wall charger.
Most interestingly, though, might be the fifth outlet included on the Energi. It can be used as a standard USB input like the other four, or it can be ejected and serve as a portable power bank. It holds a 3,200mAh charge on its own and is easy to store in a pocket, so you can take it anywhere. That’s handy, in case you wind up with a dead battery while you’re away from a wall to plug into.
While TYLT might be more familiar with wireless charging, it’s added a handy cord management feature to Energi to minimize the obnoxiousness of wires. You can wrap the excess length of cord around the charging station and snuggly tuck the rest of it away.
In the first day of the IndieGoGo campaign for the charging hub, TYLT already reached a quarter of its $30,000 goal. Though the Energi desktop charging station is set to retail for $100 when it is made widely available, backers can get in on early bird prices as low as $35. Delivery is expected by November of this year.