CES: PowerMat redeems itself

I like the concept of "wireless" charing pads, but after reviewing the current PowerMat Power Pad and Duracell MyGrid, I just couldn't recommend either. They're expensive, they require the use of various tips/adapters, and they're anything but wireless. We met with PowerMat at CES today and their new updates are pretty impressive.

Rather than continue making sleeves and cases for your gadgets (before your gadget can charge on a Power Mat, you need to fit it into a $30 sleeve), PowerMat is now making batteries. These new batteries will come with the PowerMat sensor built-in, so you no longer need to buy the sleeves/cases. Just pop the battery into your phone and you're done. You can now charge your handheld directly on the PowerMat pad without any sleeve/case. The battery shown here is for an HTC phone (I forget which one) and each battery will cost $39. Not exactly cheap, but I feel this is a better approach than what PowerMat had before.

As an alternative, you can buy the PowerPak for $69, which includes a battery and a mini PowerMat that will let you charge one device. They work with most popular smartphones, even the Droid. iPhone users will have to buy the sleeve for the iPhone, which they've now made thinner and it now doubles as a case w/ a built-in battery.

The other PowerMat product I liked is the PowerMat with the built-in battery. Again, it's like the current mat, except it has a built-in battery, so when you're on the go, you can just take the pad and that's it. No wires needed. (Of course, you'll need the wires to recharge the mat's built-in battery). But for quick getaways, it's pretty neat. This pad is $99.

Overall, the PowerMat is an expensive way to charge your gadgets. But with the $69 PowerPak, it's a little easier on the wallet and it's closer to being a truly wireless alternative than it was before. Stay tuned for reviews when we get the products.