Gadgetory

modern smartphones are so advanced that they demand an equally advanced charger that's Microsoft's view anyway and its newest accessory is a thinner sleeker and decidedly brighter wireless charging pad for your Lumia i'm michael fisher with pocket now and this is our video review of the dt 903 wireless charging plate everyone's thinking it so I'll just say it that sterols model number doesn't do this pad justice compared to its plasticky predecessor the dt 900 the 903 is almost a work of art first of all it's larger much larger to accommodate the expanded phone footprints of today but it's also thinner and heavier heavier isn't a bad thing either the added mass combined with the rubber ring around the base makes the 903 stick firmly to a tabletop so it doesn't slide around when you drop a chi enabled gadget on its large charging surface and whether that gadget is a Windows Phone a google phablet or an Android wearable the 9:03 indicates it's charging with a bright glow that radiates from its underside and bounces off the surface it's resting up on our unit here that glow is green but the 9:03 comes in both orange and white versions as well amnon windows devices the charging itself is as exciting as it get but swap in a modern Lumia smartphone and suddenly you've got a much smarter charger once you tap the Lumia to the NFC contact point and accept the pairing request the phone and charger establish a Bluetooth le handshake and the charger is transformed into one big notification light for your windows phone texts emails and other alerts trigger a pattern of abrupt flashes while a low battery level on your phone sets off a gently breathing blow letting you know your phone needs a top-up if that's not your bag or you want to change your alert options but that's as simple as diving into the device hub where simple means digging down way way down into Windows Phones never-ending settings menu but thankfully you can pin a shortcut to the charger settings right to the Start screen to skip that you can control everything from the glows brightness to which apps set it off to a specified window of dark time so you can get some sleep without a bright UFO glow waking you up the 903 isn't perfect as with the Lumia 830 it's weird that the Nokia brand remains emblazoned on the hardware even after the Microsoft acquisition also it doesn't come with a wall adapter so you've got to provide your own or plug it into a USB port on your computer surface pro 3 and MacBook Air each provided plenty of power during our testing also most of the usual downsides to wireless charging apply here it doesn't charge as rapidly as traditional wired chargers its pricier than just buying a spare cable and you really can't use the phone comfortably while it's charging unless you're sitting at a desk but look if those practical considerations are what you're all about this isn't the accessory for you anyway wireless charging is for folks tired of fussing with cables for those who just bought a Lumia 830 and can't figure out why in the name of Edison anyone would put a charging port at the top of a smart phone most of all though it's for people who want to taste a futuristic Flair with their futuristic phone and in that respect this device delivers like the Delta flyer the DT 903 charger is compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 in abled windows phones running version 8.1 and higher it'll come to Microsoft retail stores in the coming weeks and it's available from Microsoft calm right now for $59 be sure to check out our other windows phone coverage folks including an 8:30 vs. 9:30 comparison a Lumia 930 after the buzz rear review and a pocket net weekly podcast full of heated debate about the Microsoft app gap also be sure to tune in next week for our Lumia 830 video review and even more comparisons till next time there's been michael fisher with pocket now captain two phones on twitter reminding you that it's friday follow the 903 s example and get a little glow on we'll see you next week