Powermat iPhone 5 Wireless Charging Case Coming in Spring

The Powermat iPhone 5 wireless charging case should arrive this Spring for around $60 according to news coming out of Barcelona this morning. The iPhone 5 wireless charger will double as a spare battery that user can takeoff the case when they want a thinner option.

Powermat is best known for making cases that add wireless charging capability to the iPhone and many Android devices. The Powermat iPhone 5 case may be the first iPhone 5 wireless charger to make it to the market.

According to CNet, who spotted the iPhone 5 wireless charger, the case looks much like the Powermat cases for the iPhone 4S, but is not as thick.

The Powermat iPhone 5 case is still a work in progress, without any official name. It’s not clear if Powermat will spruce up the case before release, or if it will leave the odd-looking space between the bottom of the iPhone 5 and the bottom of the case. Powermat says the spacing is due to the longer Lightning connector used in the new iPhone.

Users can connect a 1,950 mAh battery to the back of the case to extend the battery life of the iPhone 5. The battery could provide a full recharge based on similar claims by Mophie for it’s Mophie Juice Pack Air iPhone 5 battery case.

Unlike the Nexus 4 and other recent smartphones, the iPhone 5 does not feature built-in wireless charging. The Powermat iPhone 5 wireless charging case packs in a small wireless inductive charger that will pair with a Duracell Powermat charger. This technology is different from the Qi wireless charging standard that is in the Nexus 4 and likely in the upcoming Galaxy S4 wireless charger.

According to company reps the Powermat iPhone 5 wireless charging case will go on sale this spring for $49.99 for the case alone and for $99.99 for the case and battery. Both products will likely include a wireless charging mat as part of that price.