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
76 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
76 months ago
$189?? That is exSpansive!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rustledjimmies Avatar
76 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
76 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
76 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
76 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

ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, 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 with a...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

John Gruber Says 'Something is Rotten' at Apple

Wednesday March 12, 2025 7:39 pm PDT by
Daring Fireball's John Gruber today shared some strongly-worded comments about Apple's delayed personalized Siri features. Gruber is a well-known Apple pundit who has been writing about the company for more than two decades. In a blog post titled "Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino," Gruber said Apple's credibility has been "damaged" by the delay:Keynote by keynote, product by...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Machined Parts Leak Reflects Camera Redesign Rumors

Thursday March 13, 2025 3:07 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to feature a significant design overhaul, and a new image apparently taken on an assembly line for the unreleased devices appears to confirm the biggest rumored change. Render of an iPhone 17 Pro model shared by Jon Prosser The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to adopt a horizontal camera bar reminiscent of Google's Pixel...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
Sad Siri Feature

Kuo: Apple Knows Apple Intelligence is 'Underwhelming' and Won't Drive iPhone Upgrades

Thursday March 13, 2025 9:32 am PDT by
The Apple Intelligence features that Apple introduced with iOS 18 are not pushing people to upgrade their iPhones, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated today. Apple's recent Siri failures are also going to have an impact on 2025 iPhone shipments, which the market is beginning to realize. As early as last July, Kuo said expectations that Apple Intelligence could drive iPhone upgrades were...
Sad Siri Feature

Kuo: Cook Should Personally Address Siri Apple Intelligence Failure

Thursday March 13, 2025 4:02 pm PDT by
Apple made a major misstep with the way that it handled the delay of Apple Intelligence features for Siri, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Announcing the delay through a press statement was a bad decision, and Apple should instead have gone through official channels. Kuo referenced the well-known "Antennagate" PR crisis when the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, and the way that then Apple...