Wireless charging is gathering momentum even if some of the most popular phones don’t yet support it. An Indiegogo project for the Hustle bag makes it easier to add wireless charging to your life while also acting as a second battery for your iPhone, Android handset, or other device that can charge through a USB port.
Hustle is actually a line of bags and accessories for men and women: Styles include a wallet, a clutch and a larger bag and are built with leather.
Each has a battery tucked inside that can be charged when the bag or accessory is placed on the included wireless charging mat. Both the bag and the mat use the Qi wireless charging standard, so you can use the mat to charge any device that supports Qi charging.
The new Nexus 7 tablet, Nexus 4 phone and Samsung Galaxy S 4 all use this standard, for example.
The bags have a 4250mAh capacity battery, which should be enough to recharge a smartphone two to four times, depending on the model.
The project has already reached its $ 35,000 funding goal and has a new stretch goal of $ 50,000. The clutch and wallet bags are $ 139 now while the larger bag is still available for an early bird $ 159 price. All bags include the wireless charging pad.
I like the concept here because of its simplicity. With your phone or tablet in the bag, the device’s battery can always be topped off during the day. When you get home, you simply drop the Hustle on its charging pad to recharge the internal battery. The charging mat has an additional USB port that can be used to recharge your handset as well.
One downside is having to keep your phone in the bag to recharge it so you can’t see incoming calls or messages. But hey, that’s what your smartwatch is for, right?
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