Skip to main content

NXT-ID’s Wocket is an all-in-one payments solution that can truly replace your wallet

There’s no shortage of companies aiming to consolidate your plastic methods of payment, and they’re all angling to accomplish the same goal: eliminate the annoyance of carrying around dozens of credit, debit, loyalty, and gift cards in an overstuffed wallet.

The only problem? Most have struggled to make it to market. Perhaps the best-known example, Coin, won’t fulfill all of its orders until Q1 of this year, and another, Swype, is limiting pre-orders. But there’s one startup, NXT-ID, that’s miraculously managed to avoid the fate of its competitors and deliver its Wocket payment solution to virtual store shelves.

Recommended Videos

NXT-ID is not exactly an emergent brand — it unveiled the Wocket in April of last year — but the company has managed to stay true to its original vision with the latest iteration of its wallet, an impressive feat in a space as volatile as the mobile payment sector.

Wocket-smart-wallet
Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends
Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

The Wocket’s basically made up of two components: a physical, removable credit card, and a boxy, rectangular card selector into which the aforementioned credit card fits. The card selector, which sports a touchscreen e-ink display and runs on a standard coin battery, is where the magic happens: you select a saved virtual card to assign to the physical card, which emulates a card swipe by transmitting a wireless signal to a given point-of-sales system. (The current version lacks support for contactless payments, but NXT-ID said an updated model with NFC will launch sometime in the next few weeks.)

Cards with magnetic stripes are added by swiping them through the selector, while cards with barcodes (e.g., membership, loyalty cards, or event tickets) can be manually copied numerically — enter the string of numbers below a given QR code or barcode and Wocket will generate a scannable image to match.

Somewhat unusually for a product of its category, the Wocket doesn’t rely on another device to operate — it’s meant to be used entirely independently, and only requires Bluetooth pairing to an iOS, Android, or Windows Phone smartphone for firmware updates. Security’s handled locally, too: you verify your identity by entering a pin on the Wocket selector’s touchscreen, and optionally by speaking a specific word or phrase.

NXT-ID isn’t selling the Wocket cheap — it retails for $180 in the U.S. — but the company has positioned it as a complete replacement for the everyday wallet you stick in your back pocket. It’s got a small pouch for ID cards, and NXT-ID said it’ll soon launch accessories with different materials and designs.

Kyle Wiggers
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more