It is a Holy Grail, isn't it? The idea of being able to charge kit without wires, I mean. As this is what it offers, the Powermat intrigued me. So, of course, I got one to test.
In fact, the Powermat is not wire free. A standard charge cable connects it to the mains. But with that cable in place you can charge up to three devices simply by placing them on the mat, and a fourth via a USB cable. So you can use less power to charge multiple devices.
What you can charge depends on the accessories you purchase. A 'Powercube' lets you charge anything that has a miniUSB, microUSB, Samsung, LG, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, PSP and DS Lite/DSi connector. You use the appropriate connector tip for your device and make a wired link to the Powercube which itself takes charge wirelessly from the Powermat. It is very versatile, but it does not make for a very neat and tidy look on the desk.
For the tidy look you need to opt for BlackBerry or Nintendo DS charging, for which replacement battery backplates act as 'Receivers' for wireless charging, or Apple iPhone or iPod Touch devices for which a complete shell or docking station does the job.
In these cases you really can just drop your device onto the Powermat and charge is delivered wirelessly - via magnetic induction.
It works, and it feels very futuristic in use. But it does not come cheap. There are two versions of the Powermat. A fold-up, portable version costs £79.99, and it is £10 less for a more stylish looking desktop version. The Receivers and Powercube are individually priced and cost upwards of £30.
If you want to know more, check out the Powermat web site.