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Someone Claims They've Invented the Best Wireless Charger for Car Phones, I'm Intrigued

There are maybe thousands of phone chargers built for cars out there, but someone on Kickstarter claims they designed the model that all drivers would need.
The charger comes with innovative built-in tech 8 photos
Photo: Kickstarter
The charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass productionThe charger is now seeking funding for mass production
Called RETECK, the phone charger comes with an approach that most of us would find familiar, but at the same time, with features that indeed look innovative.

The first thing you’ll probably notice when checking out the design is the magnetic suction. This is the way you can install the phone charger on the dashboard, and to be honest, I can’t see myself using it without an air vent installation mode. This is the only way I use phone chargers in my car these days, so this is one of the things that need to be improved in the proposed design.

Leaving aside the installation mode, the device comes with touch control, which means that it opens and closes as you move the hand closer. This isn’t the first phone charger that uses an automatic system, and I actually use one right now, but I do admit it allows for major convenience improvements over a standard product.

What makes RETECK better than the other products on the market seems to be the overheating protection and the heat dissipation system.

The device is fitted with a sensor to monitor the phone temperature and automatically reduce the charging power when overheating is detected. This way, it can prevent hardware damage but also the phone from entering a protection mode, eventually restricting access to certain features until it cools down.

The second feature that goes that aids the overheating protection system is a built-in cooling fan. Its role is to provide efficient heat dissipation. The fan kicks in when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius to provide cooling that's allegedly as efficient as the air conditioning in the cabin. A cooling system wouldn't be necessary with an air vent installation mode, but with the current design, the built-in hardware should help keep the temperature low.

The wireless charging system sports a 15W limitation, so it doesn't match the performance of chargers from Xiaomi, for instance. The charging performance should provide enough juice to run Google Maps or Waze for navigation without losing battery, but arriving at the destination with a full charge is unlikely.

RETECK has recently been published on Kickstarter hoping to raise the required funds for mass production, and anyone who wants to support its development can make a $10 donation. On the other hand, the super early bird package is available for $35, and it includes the wireless charging pad, the base, a USB-C cable, and a manual. If the campaign is successful, the device should start shipping to customers at some point in May.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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