HiRise Wireless Analysis Review

HiRise Wireless Analysis: TwelveSouth offers us an elegant and practical charging base at the same time..

Twelve South today announced its latest HiRise accessory, called “HiRise Wireless,” and is now available for purchase on the Twelve South website. The new accessory is a multi-purpose wireless charging stand with two different positions: you can charge your iPhone vertically in a traditional stand position, or take out the Qi-certified Power Disc for a miniature device with the perfect size to charge AirPods, or to bring with you when you travel

The Power Disc is also compatible with USB-C, so when you bring it on a trip, you can leave the included power cord at home and use the USB-C cable that comes with the latest MacBook and iPad Pro models to charge your iPhone or AirPods on the mat. Twelve South built the accessory taking into account the size, ensuring that it has a small footprint in both load positions: the main base of the accessory measures 3.5 inches on all sides, while the Power Disc is an oval that measures 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches

Since the wireless charge came to the iPhone and Apple could not be able to turn the dream of the AirPower into reality, dozens of manufacturers have launched to create the charging base by inductionthat conquer all the users of our favorite phone. There are of all types and colors, but today we are going to take a look at a curious proposal that comes to us from Twelvesouth.
Its name is called HiRise Wireless , and it is a load base that gains versatility and can work in different ways depending on what we need. It was launched a couple of weeks ago , and its ace in the sleeve is a charging station that can stand on a base or take as a base anyone. Let’s see all the details.

Fixed and mobile charging base at the same time

The HiRise’s charging disc is separated from its base to become a discrete charger that you can take wherever you want.

The HiRise Wireless is divided into two components: a discreet “mouse pad” or loading disk in which we can load any device that has the Qi certification and a smart-looking base designed to have it fixed on a work desk or a bedside table. night.
You can have, by a very simple mechanism, the charging disk attached to that base to load the iPhone supporting the device vertically or separate the load disk from that base and take it with the cable wherever you want or simply use it as a horizontal base to be able to charge accessories such as AirPods with wireless charging case. Unfortunately it does not work with the Apple Watch, but that’s not Twelvesouth’s fault: the Apple watch uses a charging system that at the moment only the Cupertino company can provide.

The load disk fits in the palm of my hand, being smaller than the vast majority of load bases sold by other manufacturers.

The base where you place the load disc vertically is finished in metal and weighs 454 grams , more than enough for the iPhone you rest on it does not tilt and pull the entire base. In fact there is a small protrusion just where you support the bottom of the phone, something that provides more security. The load is 10W , which makes this HiRise Wireless stand out from the traditional 5W load that most induction charging bases have. The benefit is that the iPhone will load faster since they support up to 7.5W.

AirPods with an induction charging case work perfectly with the HiRise Wireless charging disc.

A small LED light will indicate if the device is charging or is already fully charged, depending on whether it is shown in blue or green. If there is any object that hinders the charging, the light will flash blue. The best thing about this point is that the light is very discreet , something that is very much appreciated if you charge your devices while you sleep in your room. Most manufacturers are wrong to use very large and intense lights, which turns the bedroom into a nightclub.
Another positive point is that the connection of the charging disc is USB-C, so that we can use the included USB-C to USB-A cable to charge other devices such as iPad Pro using any computer or power adapter that still depends on the traditional USB. For my part I have connected directly to my iMac and I have not had any problem loading, although I miss that the HiRise Wireless include a power adapter as standard considering its price. Even so it is not a very serious lack because we can use either the computer or any of the Apple adapters that we have at home.

To remove the Power Disc, simply apply a small amount of pressure on the back of the raised part of the stand, and the Power Disc comes off easily. It also stays in place with a firm grip when it’s upright, and I haven’t seen the Power Disc fall or move when I didn’t want to do it in my tests. After interacting with the accessory for a few days, the black and chrome leather areas attract spots and dust easily, but it is also so simple to clean from time to time.

The accessory’s quality design extends to the Power Disc, which has a soft leather lining that doesn’t scratch the back of your iPhone if you don’t use a case, and a rubber lining on the back to help you do a little more . stable. There is a small LED on the back to inform you if your device is charging, it has finished charging or if there is a foreign object on the mat. In addition to a HiRise logo on the back, a Twelve South logo on the front and the USB-C port, the Power Disc is otherwise a simple and discreet Qi mat, smaller than the palm.

The USB-C cable of the charging base is intelligently hidden behind the base. And in spite of that, it is not complicated to place it there once you learn how to do it. It is conveniently indicated in the instruction manual.

What I like most about this charging base is not the base itself, but the load disk. It is very discreet and small, so it fits anywhere and is perfect to take it on a trip . We can talk about what saves us having several chargers, but with the amount of cables and adapters we have is not that we save too much.

The accessory is perfectly transformed into a horizontal loading mat with the extraction of Power Disc, but there may be some awkward moments when you have to move your iPhone a bit to find the access point of Qi. Of course, your iPhone will not be as tight as it is on the full vertical base, and a good part of it will be hanging from the Power Disc. I wasn’t worried about damaging my iPhone X, but it should be borne in mind that anyone who prefers long-lasting horizontal floor mats will probably be disappointed with the little Power Disc.

On the other hand, if you plan to use the Power Disc for charging AirPods, there are very few inconveniences. The oval mat from Qi is a perfect match with the Apple AirPods 2019 update, which includes the wireless charging case. I leave my AirPods charging on a Qi mat in my kitchen so they are easy to grab when I go out the door, and during the past week I used the HiRise Wireless in its Power Disc mode more than anything.

Perhaps the biggest problem with HiRise Wireless is its price : $ 79.99 plus international shipping or 93.38 euros on Amazon . It is justified, because the materials of the base and the load disc are of quality and the power of 10W is not in the cheapest bases, but even so users will have to invest more than 90 euros in just one charger. Anyway, this HiRise Wireless can be attractive to anyone who wants an elegant charging base that also becomes a small and discreet induction charger.