From crowd-funding to retail stores — that’s the proposition behind Native Union’s latest accessory — which is set to arrive in Australian retailers in May. The Jump smartphone charger was launched on crowd-funding website Kickstarter at the start of this year, and after reaching its $40,000 fundraising target in just over 24 hours has gone on to rake in almost $300,000 worth of pledges for its development.
The device is simple enough: a cable that charges your smartphone via a USB connection and winds up to fit in your pocket when it’s not in use. But the Jump also has a small power bank at the centre that detects when the smartphone is fully charge and diverts power to charge up this cell, meaning it can be used as a portable power solution when the smartphone runs low on battery when you’re out and about. (Check out the video below to get an idea of how the Jump works.)
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The upcoming launch of the Jump follows a successful couple of months for Native Union, which launched two new audio devices to the Australian market before Christmas: the Switch wireless speaker (which, like the Jump, also acts as a mobile power bank) and the Monocle portable and wearable speaker.
These new products have also made for a busy time for local suppliers TNS Distribution, the Australian subsidiary of the global TNS company, which is based in Ireland. Since acquiring Australian distributors Conexus in December of last year, TNS has acquired a number of new brands which will see it expand its presence in the local market. One of these brands is Native Union, which TNS Distribution director Mark Daley said offered a truly “premium product range” and one that would be pitched to “early adopters” — both in the retail and consumer landscape.
“It tends to go to resellers and places that see opportunities before they hit,” said Daley of the Native Union brand. “One of the issues we’ve seen out in the marketplace is there’s a hell of a lot of me-too going on, and what this particular range has always done is led the pack.”
As one of the newest products in the Native Union stable, Daley said the uniquely-shaped Monocle had performed “really well” for TNS, particularly in Myer, the airport-based Tech2Go retail outlets and lifestyle focused retailers, despite only being on the market for six weeks.
“It’s quite a unique little product, and everyone who gets one gets it, but they’ve got to get the concept of it first. But that’s the dilemma of any new product that’s a bit ahead of the curve.”
Check out Native Union’s kickstarter video, spruiking the new Jump smartphone charger…