The Orée Pebble 2: this bit of wood charges your phone and plays music

That’s a hunk of wood!
To the untrained eye, maybe, but it’s actually the Orée Pebble 2, a wireless smartphone or tablet charging base with a built-in 360-degree Bluetooth speaker plus a microphone. It’s also available in marble.

Oh, did I miss the first Pebble?
Possibly—we highlighted it as a choice Christmas gift idea last year. The original Pebble (€110) had the same classy exterior and material options, but only served as a wireless charger. This new model adds the Bluetooth speaker and mic for hands-free calling, playing music, etc.

What do those features add to the price, then?
The Orée Pebble 2 is available for pre-order on Kickstarter from today for US$250 (nearly €150). You can add US$50 (€30) for a white marble version, or pay a little more for an engraved base.

That’s a pretty penny
Sure, but this isn’t your common or garden charging option like. Each is artisinally crafted using marble or walnut or tilia wood. It’s elegant, and it’ll look just dandy on your desk or nightstand.

Fair enough. What’s it work with?
The Pebble 2 uses the Qi inductive charging standard, so it’ll work with devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5, the Nexus 5 and 7, and various Nokia Lumia handsets. Anything else that relies on Qi charging should do just fine too.