One of the biggest issues we saw with the Verizon ThunderBolt was the impact LTE could have on battery life: turn on the mobile hotspot functionality, for instance, and you could expect your smartphone to be drained within just a few hours. Verizon’s new ThunderBolt Inductive Battery Cover isn’t going to add any extra mAh to the handset, but it should make topping it up a little easier.
The replacement battery cover popped up on Verizon’s site recently, priced at $39.99. The “buy now” button doesn’t actually do anything at present – just take you back to the homescreen – but we’re guessing that will change in the near future.
Technical details are scant, so it’s not entirely clear which method of inductive charging HTC and Verizon have picked.
[via GottaBeMobile]
“it’s not entirely clear which method of inductive charging HTC and Verizon have picked.”
What does that even mean? You mean if they went with the Qi standard or rolled their own?
I just don’t see the appeal of inductive charging if it’s a costly add-on/accessory. $39 for backplate and probably $50-100 for the actual charger pad. Seems like an expensive way to save yourself the “hassle” of plugging in a usb cable. When it becomes the norm to include it in our devices, I’ll go for it, but until then, even for this “geek” who has no qualms at all spending money on tech toys, it seems like an unnecessary expense that offers little value-added function to the phone.
i agree completely
i agree completely
I just don’t see the appeal of inductive charging if it’s a costly add-on/accessory. $39 for backplate and probably $50-100 for the actual charger pad. Seems like an expensive way to save yourself the “hassle” of plugging in a usb cable. When it becomes the norm to include it in our devices, I’ll go for it, but until then, even for this “geek” who has no qualms at all spending money on tech toys, it seems like an unnecessary expense that offers little value-added function to the phone.
The nice thing about these being of the qi version, is that you could install a Helios unit in the underside of a counter/desk and be able to charge this phone and any othere qi device on your counter without having a “mat” to clutter it.
The nice thing about these being of the qi version, is that you could install a Helios unit in the underside of a counter/desk and be able to charge this phone and any othere qi device on your counter without having a “mat” to clutter it.