ASAP Connect: Charging convenience for mobile
There is a standard port in your mobile device which you deal with almost every day – it’s the ubiquitous charging port. Over the years, mobile devices have seen developments in making this port easier to manage, including size improvements, greater connectivity options, and even reversibility. However, seeing a magnetic option to tie your device with a power brick was a fancy thought and only seen first on Apple’s MacBook with the MagSafe Connector.
A startup project seeks to bring the convenience and security of magnetic charging to almost any mobile device while keeping the cost down. Enter the ASAP Connect, a small adapter which plugs into your device’s existing charging port and then lets you snap your charger magnetically.
Yanking your power cord from your device is unsafe because you might expose frayed wires or send your device flying off the air. The ASAP Connect promises to change that by giving a magnetic attachment between your device and its charging cable – a concept proven with Apple’s MagSafe.
The ASAP Connect uses strong N52 grade rare earth neodymium magnets on both the connector tip and the charging cable attachment to firmly and securely hold the phone and its charger in place. With these strong magnets in place, ASAP Connect doesn’t require perfect alignment between the cable and the connector tip. You will find the cable snaps right into the device without the need to adjust. It is rated with a 38,000 connectivity lifespan, which is far enough to outlast even your phone’s charging cycles.
Compatibility comes into play with the ASAP Connect, as the technology is available for both Android and iOS devices. The connector tips come in both Micro-USB and a so-called “Alpha” tip, a modified version of the Lightning connector from Apple. Not only the cable supports fast charging, it also lets data transfer between a computer or two devices.
With convenience in mind, ASAP Connect gives a true reversible charging experience by having both the connector tip and the USB Type-A connector fully reversible. The connector also has a subtle LED indicator which tells the user if the device is charging or if the charge has been completed.
ASAP Connect introduces the concept of magnetic charging to mobile devices, which changes how we plug our devices forever. While wireless charging is also a convenient option to charge our phones, it is still a work in progress. For now, we have to deal with wires and cables, and magnetic charging effectively helps in how we manage to connect our devices.