The Apple Watch isn’t available yet, but that hasn’t stopped accessory makers from coming out of the woodwork to pre-announce a thriving ecosystem of companion devices for the wearable. Nomad, maker of the ChargeKey and the NomadClip, among many other MFI-certified power accessories, is joining the fray with the Pod, a portable battery pack for Apple Watch, and the Stand, an Apple Watch (get ready for it) stand.
The Nomad Pod is the more interesting of the two, given how many stand accessories we’ve already seen announced for the upcoming smartwatch from Apple. Nomad’s design builds an 1,800 mAh backup battery directly into a device just a bit smaller than a hockey puck, with special port built into the top to accommodate the Apple Watch’s charging puck, so that the Apple Watch can be charged on it directly, no additional cable required.
There are multiple cable options available with the product, too, though, as it offers a new USB-C connector for in/out power transmission, as well as a micro USB charging port and a standard USB out for non-fancy, older cables. The top of the unit lifts off to reveal a cable spool, where you wind the 1 meter version of the stock Apple Watch charger to fit the induction charging accessory into the battery itself.
It’s a clever workaround, since it means Nomad is basically just making a stock USB battery bank with a range of output options to cover its bases, but users will nonetheless get tangle- and outlet-free charging for their watch, including up to four full charges of the Apple Watch based on Apple’s announced specs.
Nomad says it’s been in communication with Apple, and is simply awaiting the final physical dimensions of the Apple Watch charger to it can get the Pod to production. Of course, you could always just use existing power banks with the cable to achieve the same results, but Nomad’s design gets points for space-saving creativity. It’s set for a June 15 shipping timeframe, and is up for pre-order now for $60 in one of three color variants.