The FUEL iON Charging Case means iPhone 5/5s users can forget their Lightning cable, and owners of the Samsung Galaxy S4 can ditch the Micro USB cord. The £79.95 FUEL iON case and charge base kit for the iPhone 5/5s or Samsung Galaxy S4/S5 and Note 3 is one solution that saves us from the tyranny of cables, letting you charge without the hassle of constantly plugging and unplugging power cords. Also read: Best iPhone cases. It’s a two-part kit. First there’s a protective case for the phone, which simply snaps into place and offers robust, edge-to-edge knock and drop protection. Its bezel protects against screen scratches. Second you get a power transfer dock with a pad that uses neodymium magnet technology to automatically secure your phone by simply making contact with the charge base. The dock is connected to a computer’s USB or power plug via the supplied Micro USB cable. As soon as your phone, enclosed in the FUEL iON case, is docked to the base, it begins to wirelessly charge. The phone can snap to position in either vertical or horizontal orientation – great for watching TV or movies, or for stable FaceTime or other video communications. FUEL iON differs from other wireless inductive charging technologies because the charge comes through the dock’s own Lightning or Micro USB connector, so charges as fast as a normal corded connection. The case offers the usual easy access to buttons, ports and camera. This kit has built-in circuit protection against over voltage, over current, leakage and short circuit and comes backed by a 2-year warranty. The case is well constructed but does bulk up the phone – less so than with a smartphone battery case, but without the extra-juice-on-the-go that such cases offer. The phone protection shouldn’t be forgotten, but some may baulk at the bulk. Of course, you don’t have to keep your phone in the case all the time if you don’t want to, and it slips in and out very easily. Patriot also offers the FUEL iON Magnestic Charging Pad (£29.99), which is a flatter, round pad offering a 360 rotational axis. And the FUEL iON Charging Car Mount (£34.99) installs easily on a car windshield or smooth dash surface. It then offers simple one-handed connection to secure and charge the iPhone 5/5S or Samsung Galaxy S4/S5/Note 3 as long as it is in the FUEL iON case. It’s a great solution if you use your smartphone as a GPS. Also check out our review of the Osomount Push NFC car mount. Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
