Nomad’s new 3-in-1 charging stand has MagSafe and one oddly specific design flaw


But its design has a small miscalculation that prevents me from charging all those devices and simultaneously using my favorite new iOS feature, StandBy mode, which lets a charging iPhone in landscape orientation show you all kinds of fun, customizable widgets. You see, plopping down your phone on the charger’s upright MagSafe stand charges your phone at the full wireless MagSafe speed of 15W (great job there, Nomad — no notes). But if you’re charging your Apple Watch at the same time, it blocks the phone from resting horizontally, meaning you can’t use StandBy mode at all.
This only really affects someone who has an iPhone with an always-on display (iPhone 14 Pro and 15 Pro, for now) and has to occasionally charge their Apple Watch while they use StandBy mode. That may not be everyone who will buy this pricey charger, but I’m here to throw my arms in the air and say hello, yes, this is me, and I do this all the time while I’m at my desk and even sometimes while in bed. In particular, StandBy mode can be an excellent clock, with glanceable information like your next appointment or the current temperature.
Nomad’s marketing director, Chuck Melber, tells me, “We actually finalized engineering and tooling prior to the release of StandBy.” Bummer — especially since you can use StandBy mode on all kinds of other MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible magnetic chargers.
On the plus side, that too-far-forward Apple Watch charger supports fast charging for Apple’s compatible watches (Series 7, Series 8, Series 9, and Ultras), which is a nice one-up feature over the Base One Max. But that otherwise very similar 3-in-1 charger dropped in price to $150 back in October, and it’s currently discounted to $105. So you’re paying an extra $75 right now for Apple Watch fast charging and your phone to be propped up.
The Stand One Max is yet another Apple-centric charging solution from Nomad that looks great and performs well, at a price — especially since it is not Qi2 when we’re likely to see a flood of Qi2-compatible devices hitting the market in 2024. This charger has just a little more quirk and compromise than I expect from Nomad.
But its design has a small miscalculation that prevents me from charging all those devices and simultaneously using my favorite new iOS feature, StandBy mode, which lets a charging iPhone in landscape orientation show you all kinds of fun, customizable widgets. You see, plopping down your phone on the charger’s…
Recent Posts
- Rivian’s new Dune edition lets you channel your inner Fremen
- Here’s when and where you can preorder the new iPhone 16E
- The Humane AI Pin debacle is a reminder that AI alone doesn’t make a compelling product
- This 1.9-pound smartphone’s massive battery offers six months of standby
- Movie sales – including 4K Blu-ray – fell again last year, but if you’re going streaming only, you’re massively missing out
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010