Nomad this week launched its latest wireless charger, the Base Station Pro, which is unique because it uses Aira wireless charging technology to allow up to three devices to be charged wherever they are placed on the charging mat. Base Station Pro was first announced in October 2019, so it’s been in development for a while.
The Base Station Pro has been compared to Apple’s now-cancelled AirPower charging accessory, due to its ability to charge multiple devices without requiring a specific placement thanks to a new type of charging design.
In terms of design, the Base Station Pro is a flat, wide charging mat sized to accommodate multiple devices such as smartphones and AirPods. It works with any Qi-based wireless charging accessory, but it’s not compatible with the Apple Watch, which doesn’t use Qi charging.
The Base Station Pro is 8.7 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thin, and it has an aluminum base with a leather pad, much like Nomad’s other wireless charging options. It looks and feels heavy and high quality, as the $230 asking price should. It comes with a braided USB-C cable, a 30W USB-C power adapter and interchangeable plugs for different countries. Three LED lights on the front let you know when a device is charging.
Aira’s FreePower technology used inside the Base Station Pro is designed with a unique 18 coil matrix built into a circuit board and software algorithms to detect a smartphone regardless of orientation, allowing an iPhone to be placed in any position and orientation on the charging mat. . As long as the wireless charging coil inside the iPhone is somewhere on the mat, the iPhone will charge.
The Base Station Pro’s large form factor allows it to accommodate multiple iPhones with either AirPods or AirPods Pro. I’d say it comfortably fits two iPhones at the same time while powering the AirPods, but it fits three naked iPhones if you have three charging.
I’ve tested a lot of wireless chargers at this point, and flat chargers where you have to make sure a coil on the charger matches the coil on the iPhone can be frustrating to use. If you’re slightly off, your device won’t charge and finding the right position can be difficult, especially in the dark at night or when you’re in a hurry.
Base Station Pro solves that problem. I was able to place my iPhone on the mat at any angle and it successfully detected it and started charging. The one exception is right at the edges where there is a bit of a dead zone due to the design of the charger. I had to make sure not to hold my AirPods too close to the edge or they wouldn’t charge, but that wasn’t an issue with the iPhone.
I find it frustrating to adjust the position of my devices when using a standard flat wireless charger, but I’m not sure it’s a big enough problem to justify spending $230 on a wireless charger that offers little beyond an elegant design. Nifty any-device-anywhere charging. I think the Base Station Pro is a top-level charger with effective functionality that points to the future of wireless charging, but did you know that wireless charging effectively solves the positioning problem? A multi-device charging station with an upright charging space paired with a small charging mat like the Logitech POWERED 3-in-1.
The Base Station Pro supports wireless charging for Apple devices at up to 7.5W, which is the maximum speed that an iPhone can charge. In my tests, I was able to charge an iPhone XS Max from one percent to 18 percent in half an hour with one device on the charger.
I was able to charge the iPhone XS Max from one percent to 21 percent with three devices on the charger in half an hour, so the Base Station Pro is distributing power evenly and multi-device charging doesn’t slow down charging.
After an hour, my iPhone XS Max was charged from 1 percent to 38 percent, and all of these charging speeds are consistent with a 7.5W wireless charger. For non-iPhone devices, the Base Station Pro charges up to 5W and includes Android devices that support much faster wireless charging speeds. Because of that, it’s not the best charger to use with non-Apple smartphones and devices.
In fact, on Nomad’s website, it lists the Base Station Pro as compatible with Apple devices and Samsung Galaxy S10 and S20 phones, with support for Google Pixel devices and other Qi-enabled devices “coming soon.”
There are some quirks with the charger that don’t make for the best charging experience. When I set up an iPhone, it takes a few seconds to start charging, whereas with other chargers it’s instant. I’ve encountered a problem where my iPhone-constantly stops charging for just a second and then reconnects, disconnecting every 20 minutes or so.
The Base Station Pro’s firmware can be updated by plugging it into a computer, so some of these issues I feel could be fixed with a future update.
bottom line
The technology that allows devices to be placed anywhere on the Base Station Pro without requiring any reconfiguration is useful, but the wireless charger’s high price point is a barrier to entry and I’m not sure the benefits of not being adjustable. A device’s positioning is worth the premium it’s being charged for.
Unlike some other charging station options, the Base Station Pro is limited to charging Qi-based devices and does not include an Apple Watch charging puck, which may be inconvenient for Apple Watch owners. It would also have been nice to see an additional USB-C or USB-A port on the side for charging iPads and other devices at this price.
You don’t want to use this charger with non-Apple devices due to charging speed limitations, and don’t rely on it when you need power in a hurry because it’s also slow with iPhones and AirPods (like all wireless charging).
Aira’s charging technology worked well in my tests and provided a glimpse of where wireless charging is headed in the future. I expect this functionality to roll out to additional products and eventually come down in price, but for now the convenience of drop and go charging is probably too expensive to make it attractive to the average consumer.
If rumors are to be believed, a wireless charger could be coming from Apple in the not too distant future even after ‘AirPower’ is cancelled. A small wireless charging mat is reportedly in the works, though it’s unclear when it might launch. Apple enthusiasts may want to wait for Apple’s wireless charger, which will likely use similar technology.
How to buy
The Base Station Pro can be pre-ordered from the Nomad website for $229.95. Shipments will begin in late September.
Update
The Base Station Pro is capable of over-the-air updates, and new firmware is being rolled out to reviewers to fix some issues I had during my testing. Base Station Pro units that go to customers will have the new firmware installed by default, so no updates will be required.
The firmware update adds improved performance when charging two or three devices simultaneously, improved support for Google and Samsung devices, and improved device detection speed. Nomad has also released an add-on Apple Watch charger.
Update 2
As of May 2021, Nomad and Aira do not plan further firmware updates for the Base Station Pro, something to keep in mind for those planning to purchase. Base Station Pro also has reduced wireless charging functionality and slower charging times for iPhone 12 models, so we no longer recommend it.
Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a Base Station Pro for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an authorized partner with Nomad. When you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps keep our site running.
