Last month, Jens announced a new modular wireless charging station, which lets you mix and match different pieces to create a charging set-up that fits your needs. In terms of Apple products, you can use the new accessory to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
The line consists of a total of five accessories, three “main stations” that serve as the starting point for modular systems, and two “extensions”. Zens sent us three pieces of the system to try out in this review.
- Modular Single Wireless Charger Main Station – €59.99
- Modular Stand Wireless Charger Main Station – €69.99
- Modular Dual Wireless Charger Main Station – €99.99
- Modular Single Wireless Charger Extension – €39.99
- Modular Apple Watch Charger Extension – €49.99
This highlights one of the biggest drawbacks of the new Gen’s modular charging system: its price tag. The base entry-level price to start is around $72 (for the cheapest main station), and if you really want to get full use out of the modular system, you’ll probably want to add at least one extension for either $48 or $60.
Jane’s sent us a Modular Dual Wireless Charger Main Station, Modular Single Wireless Charger Extension, and Modular Apple Watch Charger Extension, all for under $230. While most people won’t need to spend that much and should be fine with just buying one or two pieces of the system, the fact that its best potential is locked behind such a large price point is unfortunate.
That being said, like other Gens accessories I’ve had the chance to review, the Modular System is a reliable and well-designed accessory. The Modular Dual Wireless Charger main station is much lighter than Zen’s Liberty Wireless Charger, which came close to being an AirPower alternative thanks to its ability to let you place Qi-enabled devices anywhere on a surface to charge. This modular system does not support that feature.
The Modular Dual Wireless Charger main station works like other Qi mats, with two dedicated hotspots for an iPhone, AirPods, or Android smartphone with Qi support. The surface is made from recycled plastic, but it has an almost rubbery feel, making it feel safe to place an iPhone on it without a case.
A significant downside of the main station for me is the placement of a small LED on the back of the mat, which indicates a confirmed charging status. Like some of my personal less favorite Kiwi mats, this LED is bright enough to be annoying at night, lighting up the opposite wall in my bedroom and requiring a small piece of tape to cover it up.
To attach the extensions to the main station, all you have to do is align the magnets on the side of each accessory until they click together. You have free reign to put an extension on either side of any main station accessory, and even connect extensions to other extensions (as long as it’s found in a main station, which is powered by a basic AC adapter).
This modular system has a slight limitation, however, in that extensions can only be chained to the left or right of one. No ports in front or back of main station or extensions I have a somewhat small bedside table, so I couldn’t fit the main station and two extensions in a row without moving my lamp. It would have been nice to create an L-shaped pattern for even more customization options.
The modular single wireless charger extension is the perfect size for charging AirPods or AirPods Pro, but it can also charge a smartphone. Zens makes a modular stand wireless charger head station if you prefer to sit your iPhone vertically while charging, but we didn’t have a chance to try it.
If you own an iPhone–12 model and have been using MagSafe for wireless charging, switching back to traditional Qi mats may be difficult. Just a few weeks after I was able to use the magnets on my iPhone 12 Pro to find the ‘MagSafe’ charger on my bedside table in the dark, Jens had to repeatedly raise and lower my iPhone until it hit the charger’s hotspot. Quite a step back.
last row
If you’re willing to pay a steep price, the Zens Modular Wireless Charging Station is a solid Qi charger with a range of add-ons that provide an organized place to charge all your Apple products. You can buy one of the main stations, as well as all the extensions, on the Zens website.
Note: Zens provided MacRumors with a Modular Dual Wireless Charger Main Station, Modular Single Wireless Charger Extension, and Modular Apple Watch Charger Extension for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
