After quickly selling out of a sleek but underpowered wireless smartphone charger in late August, Tesla this week informed customers that the device will soon be back in stock at a roughly $16 discount.
Tesla is in the process of emailing customers who purchased the eponymous charger last month for $65, saying new shipments of the product are coming in and will be sold for $49 on the company's online store, reports The Verge.
According to the email, copies of which were posted to social media on Monday, the $16 price drop is thanks to a higher quantity second production run. Customers who bought the Tesla Wireless Charger when it first went on sale last month will be refunded the $16 difference for being "early adopters."
Tesla quietly introduced its Qi-compatible wireless charging device at the end of August. Described as a charging pad that "features the same design language used in our energy products, like Powerwall," the charger sold out within a matter of hours.
Along with inductive charging, the device integrates a USB-C plug for compatible phones, while a USB-A cable provides a means to recharge the pack. With a 6,000mAh battery cell and wireless module that outputs 5W of power, the Tesla Wireless Charger is easily outperformed by cheaper, more capable products. As AppleInsider noted last month, RAVPower's HyperAir battery pack boasts a 10,400mAh cell and 7.5W wireless charging capabilities for $50.
Still, Tesla's brand appeal is sure to give the wireless charger a boost when it goes back up for sale in the near future. The company did not specify a restock timeline, but the recent emails suggest that date is soon approaching.
26 Comments
I notice the RAVPower charger mentioned has terrible Amazon reviews (20% 1 star, 11% 2 stars). Given that, if anything, reviews are inflated by fake 5 star reviews, this is a huge red flag for me.
And besides, if I'm bringing a portable power pack why would I be willing to lose efficiency by charging "wirelessly"?
I'd prefer they update their software to just support standard USB media functionality. You cannot browse your media library or control playback through USB on Teslas. One has to wonder what Elon does, because the current support is awful. Well, not awful. Non-existent.
Knock knock, it's me Dave. Open up man. The price has been reduced to five dime-bags.
So this answers the question from the earlier story as to why it was pulled. It was sold out.