Nomad refreshes Apple Watch Base Station, now charges up to five devices, more

This morning, Nomad is introducing a refreshed version of its popular Base Station for Apple Watch. Upgraded internals deliver enough juice to power up to five devices simultaneously through a mix of Qi coils, charging pucks, and USB ports. Additionally, the entire wireless charging pad offers 10W speeds for eligible devices, making this arguably the most compelling all-in-one power station on the market today. An increase in price is sure to be a turnoff for some shoppers, but the overall value here combined with our previous recommendation of the first-generation model makes the new Nomad Base Station for Apple Watch worth your attention. Hit the jump for full details, pricing, and availability.

Nomad revamps Apple Watch Base Station

If you previously came across Nomad’s first-generation Base Station, you won’t find much difference in the way of design change with today’s announcement. It’s primarily under the hood enhancements that have delivered upgrades and drive the reason behind a price jump.

The latest Nomad Apple Watch Base Station delivers a fully integrated Apple Watch charger, although it is still limited to a dedicated location versus a charge anywhere approach we’ve long hoped for. Three 10W Qi charging pads can be found under the same leather pad found on the original model.

Flipping the Base Station around back reveals an 18W USB-C PD port along with a 7.5W USB-A port. For those devices in our lives that don’t support wireless charging, this is a welcome addition. Integrated ambient light sensors, which dim at night automatically, round out the list of upgrades. Check out the full list of specs below:

• Integrated MFi-certified Apple Watch Charger
• 10W wireless charging
• Padded leather wireless charging surface
• USB-C PD 18W port
• USB-A 7.5W Port
• LED charging indicators
• Ambient light sensor dims LEDs at night
• Designed for Apple Watch Series 5 and compatible with all previous versions of Apple Watch
• Supports nightstand mode

Pricing and availability

The new Nomad Apple Watch Base Station is available today for $149.95. It’s currently in-stock and available for shipping. Today’s announcement has resulted in a slight price bump from the previous-generation model due to the more robust Qi coils inside and various other changes.

Electronicsforward’ Take

Without a doubt, the $150 price is a non-starter for some consumers. However, I must say that the first-generation model blew through expectations, so it’s easy to expect the same from today’s announcement. Good on Nomad for continuing to push the envelope further here, but it’s still a bummer that Apple is forcing the Watch charging puck on us…leaving AirPower as just a memory in our minds.

For a more budget-friendly alternative, consider going with Anker’s combo iPhone and Apple Watch charger at $60. It doesn’t handle as many devices, but it’s also far less in price.

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