We all live busy lives, and our smartphones are being used more and more to help and assist wherever possible. We also use them to keep us entertained throughout the day, and there may be times our phones need a little extra power.

Today we welcome the arrival of a new wireless charger, the DT-601, and a new portable USB charger, the DC-19.

DT-601 – wireless charger

As far as wireless chargers are concerned, this does exactly the same as its predecessor – the DT-900. However, it’s smaller, lighter, easier to carry around and more affordable.

“The DT-601 is small and round with identical bright colours to what we see in the Lumia family. Because it’s so small and colourful it looks very cute; a bit like a lollipop,” says Jaakko Huokkola, Product Manager for Wireless Charging at Nokia.

This new design offers a more “young and  playful” approach to wireless charging. Not only does it look perfect beside the office computer, but next to the family one, too.

Size-wise, it’s 65mm in diameter and less than 9mm thick.

With a 1.5 meter USB-A cable, it plugs into any USB device or wall charger with a USB-A port, like the Nokia AC-60 charger, for example. There’s also a nice little strap to wrap up any excess cable; what Jaakko calls a “cable management solution”.

The materials used in the DT-601 feel soft. It’s still made out of polycarbonate, but there’s a soft coating that’s much more natural and feels good in your hand. This new material feels smooth but also provides some extra grip for the phone that’s placed on top of it.

When your phone is in the correct position on the charger, the incorporated LED will light to let you know your phone is charging.

The DT-601 is Qi compatible, so will work with existing wireless charging products from Nokia and other manufacturers that support Qi.

The planned availability of the DT-601 will first start in Asia-Pacific from this month, rolling out to Europe and America in the following months, costing €29. Yellow, cyan, bright red, black, and white colours will be available.

DC-19 – Universal portable USB charger

While charging wirelessly is great for when you’re at home, or at work, there are times you may need an extra boost when away from a power source. That’s where the DC-19 comes in.

This compact little charger is rechargeable and can sit in your bag, purse, or pocket until you need it.

The DC-19 packs in a 3,200-mAh battery, measuring at 99.5mm long and with a diameter of only 25.4mm – small and powerful.

When fully charged, the stand-by time of the DC-19 well exceeds six months. The handy LED indicator lights are great for checking on the battery levels.

To charge the DC-19, simply plug in like you would your phone, using a data cable or the wall charger.

When it comes to using the DC-19 to charge your phone, reverse the cable and plug the USB end into the charger, with the other smaller end going into your phone.

The DC-19 will charge any device that supports microUSB charging.

The planned availability of the DC-19 is from this month and will cost €29.

Colours available will be cyan, white and yellow – with colour matched USB – microUSB cables, too.

Which one would you prefer?