Google Nexus Wireless Charger Hits the Play Store

The lucky few who were able to pick up a brand new Nexus 5 before Google ran out of stock may be interested to hear that the latest official Nexus wireless charger is now on sale for $50 from the Google Play store in the U.S. and Canada. The charger is officially meant to work with the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 but not the Nexus 10, which lacks Qi charging. However, an update to Google’s 10-inch tablet is expected later this month which may add that functionality.

Google has also started selling the official Nexus 5 cases, which include a bumper case and the LG QuickCover.

Unlike last year’s wireless charger from Google — the Nexus 4 Charging Orb which, as the name suggests, features an orb-like design — the 2013 charger is flatter and more squared, measuring 60 x 60 x 12.5mm. Using the Qi charging standard, it comes bundled with a 9W, 1.8A AC adapter and a microUSB cable. Although it is designed to work expressly with Nexus devices, it should work with other Qi charging-capable devices, such as the Nokia Lumia 920. Likewise, it’s possible other Qi chargers could work with the Nexus line.

With Google and Nokia on its side, it would seem the Qi alliance is the standard for wireless charging, but that’s not necessarily the case. Earlier this year, Powermat, one of the wireless charging companies that counts itself a member of the PowerMatters Alliance (PMA), acquired PowerKiss, a Finnish company that had been a member of the Qi alliance.

Since then, Powermat has taken a different approach to the Qi alliance, spreading PMA wireless charging throughout the country through partnerships with Starbucks and, more recently, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

For consumers, though, what matters is that wireless charging is available and that it works. For Nexus owners, this means heading over the Google Play store and clicking the “buy” button.