Australian invention will charge three gadgets at once after folding out of your pocket

An Australian invention designed to end the phone-charging wars could also solve dramas about what cords to pack on holiday.

For years, we’ve wrestled with cords while longing for just one charger to rule all smartphones.

But amid the tangle of Lightning, USB-C, Micro-USB and smartwatch cables, an Australian company has come up with an ingenious system to charge three gadgets at once, even working across brands.

The $150 creation comes from Sydney-based STM Goods and works using Qi wireless charging common to most modern smartphones.

The ChargeTree Go is a portable wireless charger for a phone, earbuds and Apple Watch.

Unlike other chargers, however, this model pulls triple duty for powering more than just a phone, and folds down to a comfortable size for travelling when it’s done.

The STM ChargeTree Go arrives in a slim form, at less than 2.5cm thick, and can simply be plugged into a USB-C cable to become a phone-charging platform.

Swing back its base plate, however, and this charger will stand upright on a desk and recharge a phone at a comfortable angle, whether that’s beside your keyboard or alongside your bed.

This move also reveals a hidden panel for recharging earbuds wirelessly behind it.

The ChargeTree Go also has one more hidden talent: an Apple Watch charging panel that can spring from the right side of the device, and return when not required.

Even compared to Apple’s MagSafe Duo, which folds out to charge two Apple device at once, this travel charger compares favourably.

And one of its biggest benefits is versatility. While you can charge a trio of Apple gadgets with this device, the ChargeTree Go can also be used with Google gadgets if you decide to switch camps. The only exception to this versatility is the Apple Watch charger that won’t work with another smartwatch style.

Another minor downside is that the charger only comes with a USB-C cord (yes, you will still need one of those) and not a power plug, though they’re not hard to procure.

Whether travelling between home and work, leaving home for a real holiday, or just fighting the cable wars, this gadget could be a powerful solution.

Originally published as Australian invention will charge three gadgets at once after folding out of your pocket