Spansive, a company developing new wireless charging technology, today announced the launch of the Spansive Source, a multi-phone wireless charging accessory that's designed for families.

The Spansive Source is able to charge up to four Qi-enabled devices at one time, using what the company calls "Drop-N-Charge" technology that doesn't require exact placement on the charging surface.


Spansive says the Source uses "software-designed induction to shape magnetic fields" to create a device that allows four smartphones (or other Qi-based devices) to charge at once using a three-dimensional charging field that can "sense where devices are located."

spansive1
The charging technology also allows smartphones to charge "regardless of phone case," supporting PopSockets and other thicker cases. According to Spansive, the Source should work with almost all iPhone cases and popular accessories.

Along with space for wirelessly charging four smartphones using Qi-based wireless charging, there are an additional two USB-A ports on the Source for charging other accessories.

spansive2
Unfortunately, the Source charges iPhones at a maximum of 5W, so the faster 7.5W charging specification is not supported. It does, however, connect to a home's WiFi setup, which allows it to receive over-the-air firmware updates.

Spansive says that software updates will bring improvements like faster charging speeds, better charging range, and compatibility with future devices.

spansive3
You can get the Spansive Source in either white or charcoal colors, and it is priced at $189. It is available for purchase today from the Spansive website.

Top Rated Comments

LarryNyquil Avatar
75 months ago
It does, however, connect to a home's WiFi setup, which allows it to receive over-the-air firmware updates.
Oh goody, another wifi-enabled gadget with security that I'm sure resembles swiss cheese.

Why does a wireless charger need firmware updates???
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCoe13 Avatar
75 months ago
$189?? That is exSpansive!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rustledjimmies Avatar
75 months ago
Was a cost analysis run comparing duct taping 8 charging pads off of Amazon and connecting them to a surge protector?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jetfire Avatar
75 months ago
Oh goody, another wifi-enabled gadget with security that I'm sure resembles swiss cheese.

Why does a wireless charger need firmware updates???
You did read the article? "uses "software-designed induction to shape magnetic fields"" Software means updates.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
75 months ago
I know. Spansive sent me an unsolicited email about this earlier today. Definitely didn't sign up for that! Never heard of this company.

I've never understood families that charge all of their devices together like this. Seems like it would be annoying.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
75 months ago
Interesting - do you have a family yourself (honest question).

In my house - even though my fiance and I both have charging capability on our bedside tables (which is used at night) - our phones often end up connected to the "common" charging area we have setup on the kitchen island during the day.

This is not even to mention our guests - people love to see the "community" charging area there and plug their stuff in.

I could definitely see this being added to that area on the kitchen island... but not until my fiance gets a newer iPhone with Qi capability (her work-provided iPhone is still a 6S!).
Yes, a wife and two kids. My daughter is 5 and the oldest and she has a hand-me-down iPad Mini 2 but we only let her use it for 30-45 minutes on weeknights and 60 minutes on the weekend if she is good and puts away her toys. My wife has an iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone SE, and Apple Watch 4 and I have an iPad Pro 3rd gen 12.9", iPhone XS and Apple Watch 4. We each have chargers on each night stand next to our side of the bed. We only need to charge once per day. We replaced my wife's iPhone SE battery for $29 at the end of 2018, so she doesn't need to charge during the day any more. My XS usually has 40-50% left on average, and 20% worst case. Like it is truly rare to get the 20% left popup. I don't think I've ever ran out of battery with it legitimately—and what I mean by that is by using it a lot. Every few months it seems like some process gets stuck on my iPhone (this has happened for years across different models) and the battery drains much faster on that day. After rebooting it's back to normal. I think what helps with the wireless charging iPhones is that I bought a QI charge mount for my car. So when I'm listening to my podcasts on my way to work and home (10-15 minutes each way), my battery gets a little boost. It's not a lot, but I love it, especially when traveling and using GPS and BT at the same time. It's able to trickle charge while running both.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...