The two main problems of most smartphone users today is usually the phone's battery drains easily or being tied to a wall outlet because the device is being charged. Even when using a portable battery or power bank to charge a smartphone, users still need a cable.
With Qi (pronounced as "chi" which means 'natural energy' in Chinese), the interface standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, the cables for your mobile devices may not have to go with you all the time.
And these two factors are considered by Rubix, a Hong Kong-based company, which have come up with the ON Charger battery and the ON Case for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
William Matters, an industrial engineer who founded of Rubix and Lead Product Designer of ON, saw the potential of a magnetic interface to charge Qi-enabled devices.
"Managing battery levels is still a challenge," sayd Matters in their video campaign on Kickstarter, "and often, charging keeps us tied down when we should be mobile. As a team, we came up with one clear mission: to simplify the whole process of charging."
Both the charge and case have a magnetic charge ring - on top of the ON Charger and at the back of the ON Case - which stick together to initiate the charging process. There no need to use a cable except when charging the On Battery to a wall outlet, or with another power bank that's not Qi-compatible.
The ON Charger doubles as a power bank and has a battery with a 5,000 mAh capacity which is enough to charge most Qi-enabled smartphones up to three times with a full charge. What's neat about the ON Charger battery is that it has a wireless receiver so it can also be charged wirelessly with other Qi-enabled chargers.
It is also possible to stack several ON Battery Chargers and plug only one to charge them altogether.
Another nice feature of the two products is that when both are connected, they can be charged simultaneously. This feature is not found in most power banks and is not advisable to be done for safety reasons or the battery doesn't get charge because power goes directly to the smartphone.
The ON case also has a USB port to enable wired charging and syncing when plugged into a computer. And since it's a case, it still offers high-quality protection for the phone.
Both ON Charger Battery and the ON Case will go on production when the crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of $80,000. Sixteen days before the campaign ends (on May 30), 215 backers have already pledged $24,499.
Pledges of $39 can get the On Case for the iPhone 6 which will retail on $49. The On Charger battery, meanwhile, will be given to those who have pledged $69 (which is $30 less of its retail price).
Rubix is currently in the process of design cases for other smartphone brands and has recently announced the ON Case for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
