According to The Verge, a company called Loona is launching a desktop charger called the DeskMate that turns your iPhone into a robotic AI assistant. The device features three USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and a MagSafe charging pad, and it automatically activates a companion app when you dock your phone. What makes it unique is that it uses your iPhone’s own display, camera, and microphone, so it doesn’t need its own. The stand physically rotates and tilts to follow you, complete with animated eyes on your iPhone’s screen. It’s slated to launch via a crowdfunding campaign in March, with a price point that the company says will be “below $300.” For now, it’s an iPhone-only proposition.
The clever hack vs. the steep price
Here’s the thing: the core idea is genuinely smart. In a CES landscape flooded with expensive, single-purpose AI robots, leveraging the powerful computer everyone already carries in their pocket is a great hack. It sidesteps the need for redundant, lower-quality components and turns a necessary desk item—a charger—into something more. And by integrating with tools like Slack, it’s aiming for practical utility, not just being a cute gadget. But that “below $300” figure is a massive hurdle. You’re basically paying a premium for a motorized stand and some software, since the brains and sensors are your own phone. It has to replace your current charger *and* provide enough unique value to justify what could be nearly $300. That’s a tough sell.
Winners, losers, and the accessory game
So who does this idea benefit? Well, Apple, indirectly. It further entrenches the iPhone as a central hub, making the ecosystem stickier. It also highlights a path for accessory makers: don’t build a whole robot, just build a better dock. The losers are the companies trying to sell you a $1,500 AI tabletop robot with its own mediocre screen and camera. The DeskMate’s approach exposes how overbuilt and overpriced many of those concepts are. But the real challenge is in the business model. Crowdfunding is the right place for a niche, experimental product like this, but it also signals that this isn’t quite a mainstream, store-shelf-ready idea yet. It feels like a proof of concept for a future where our primary devices seamlessly morph into different forms. For industries that rely on robust, dedicated hardware interfaces—like manufacturing or logistics—this kind of consumer gadget underscores a different philosophy. In those fields, reliability is paramount, which is why companies turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for 24/7 operation in harsh environments, not cute companionship.
Will anyone actually use it?
My big question is about the long-term engagement. We’ve seen this movie before with gadgets like the Amazon Glow or even earlier phone docks. The novelty of a little face on your desk that can tilt toward you is cool for about a week. Then, does it become just a charger again? The success hinges entirely on the AI assistant software being genuinely useful and improving over time. If it’s just another voice assistant with a gimmicky body, it’ll collect dust. The price needs to match the utility, and right now, that balance seems off. It’s a clever bit of engineering, no doubt. But turning a charger into a must-have AI companion? That’s a much harder charge to sustain.
