Twelve South today announced its latest HiRise accessory, called the "HiRise Wireless," and it's available to purchase now on Twelve South's website. The new accessory is a multi-purpose wireless charging stand with two distinct positions: you can charge your iPhone upright in a traditional stand position, or pop out the Qi-certified Power Disc for a miniature device that's perfectly sized to charge AirPods, or to bring with you when you travel.
The Power Disc is also USB-C compatible, so that when you bring it on a trip you can leave the included power cord at home and use the USB-C cable that comes with the latest MacBook and iPad Pro models to charge your iPhone or AirPods on the mat. Twelve South built the accessory with size in mind, ensuring that it has a small footprint in both charging positions: the main base of the accessory measures 3.5 inches across all sides, while the Power Disc is an oval that measures 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches.
Design
I've had a chance to use the new HiRise Wireless stand over the course of the past week, and it's quickly replaced the previous Choetech wireless charging stand I had next to my iMac. The design of the accessory matches the quality of Twelve South's previous HiRise products, with a soft-touch leather padding that looks nice alongside the device's chrome detailing.
The HiRise Wireless is reliably sturdy, and there's a small bump on the base to keep your iPhone upright when it's charging. The stand has a nice heft to it, which helps ensure that it won't budge when you interact with it; a rubberized coating under the stand aids this as well. There's also very little setup, since all you have to do is remove the Power Disc, pass the USB-A to USB-C cable through the oval opening, plug it into the Power Disc, and replace the Qi mat into its slot.
To remove the Power Disc, you simply apply a small amount of pressure to the back of the raised portion of the stand, and the Power Disc pops off with ease. It also remains in place with a firm grip when it's vertical, and I haven't seen the Power Disc fall off or move when I didn't want it to in my testing. After interacting with the accessory for a few days, the black leather and chrome areas do attract smudges and dust easily, but it's also just as simple to wipe clean once in a while.
The accessory's quality design extends to the Power Disc itself, which has a soft leather coating that won't scratch the back of your iPhone if you don't use a case, and a rubberized lining on its back to help make it a bit more stable. There's a small LED on the back to let you know if your device is charging, finished charging, or if there's a foreign object on the mat. Besides a HiRise logo on the back, a Twelve South logo on the front, and the USB-C port, the Power Disc is otherwise a plain and unobtrusive smaller-than-palm-size Qi mat.
Performance
In normal daily use, I've found the HiRise Wireless to perform at the same level of other 10W wireless charging mats. This means the stand provides a solid trickle charge to your iPhone and is perfect for overnight charging. I use Apple's Smart Battery Case on my iPhone X, and for the past few nights the HiRise Wireless has managed to fuel up my iPhone X from around 50 percent to 100 percent, and fully charge the Smart Battery Case.
The accessory works with most iPhone cases, similar to every other Qi mat, so you don't have to worry about taking off your silicone or leather cases to use the HiRise Wireless. With a Smart Battery Case extending my iPhone X's lifecycle I don't necessarily need a wireless stand on my desk when I work, but I prefer to have one since it provides super convenient at-a-glance notification readouts. Because of this, HiRise Wireless was perfect as a desktop companion to my iMac and iPad setup.
The accessory transitions seamlessly into a horizontal charging mat with the Power Disc removal, but there can be some awkward moments where you have to move your iPhone around a bit to find the Qi hotspot. Of course, your iPhone won't be as snug as it is on the full vertical stand, and a good portion of it will be hanging off the Power Disc. I wasn't worried about damaging my iPhone X, but it should be noted that anyone who prefers full-length horizontal mats will likely be disappointed with the tiny Power Disc.
On the other hand, if you plan to use the Power Disc for AirPods charging there are very little downsides. The oval Qi mat is a perfect match with Apple's 2019 AirPods update, which include the Wireless Charging Case. I leave my AirPods charging on a Qi mat in my kitchen so that they're easy to grab as I head out the door, and for the past week I've used the HiRise Wireless in only its Power Disc mode more than anything.
The small device blends perfectly into my kitchen's dark countertops, and it's so inconspicuous that it's easier to miss when compared to full-sized mats, like the Belkin accessory I was previously using to charge my AirPods. With the small design of the wireless earphones, there's also no problem with finding the Qi hotspot on the Power Disc, and I found the charging as reliable as it was for my iPhone X and Smart Battery Case.
Bottom Line
There's a lot of functionality to Twelve South's new HiRise Wireless stand that makes it easy to recommend, but you'll be paying a premium price of $79.99 for the new product. While this is around the same price as Twelve South's other Qi mat (the PowerPic), it exceeds the cost of low-to-average priced mats, which can be as cheap as $10, and still dependable thanks to companies like Anker.
But, if you're looking for a wireless charging mat with utility, you can get your money's worth out of the HiRise Wireless. The accessory offers solid iPhone and AirPods charging speeds in both horizontal and vertical positions, and the quality of its craftsmanship and small footprint make it an ideal desktop charging mat.
How to Buy
You can purchase the HiRise Wireless on TwelveSouth.com for $79.99 starting today.
Note: Twelve South provided MacRumors with one HiRise Wireless stand for the purposes of this review, and no other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Tags: Twelve South, HiRise
This article, "Review: Twelve South's New 'HiRise Wireless' Converts From Stand to Mat for Charging iPhone and AirPods" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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