A simple method for wireless charging
As more and more devices become compatible with wireless charging, more and more wireless chargers emerge into the marketplace. I’ve seen my fair share of them and love that this new technology has been embraced by so many. As is the case with so many charging devices, you have to be very cautious about some third-party product designers. I typically stick to a few that I know I can trust so that I know my devices will be well protected. One company I’ve come to know well over the past couple of years is AUKEY. They make some really awesome accessories and I have been testing out this Graphite Wireless Charger (LC-C5) recently with some great results.
Details
The Graphite Wireless Charger by AUKEY is a standard wireless charging pad for use with Qi wireless-enabled devices. This charger won the iF Design Award 2018 in the charging device category. It’s ultra compact and ideal for home, office, or travel use. The charger will work with all Qi-enabled devices including the iPhone X/8/8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8/S8/S8+, and most wireless charging cases. The Graphite Wireless Charger will also charge through many styles of phone cases (thickness less than 3mm). The maximum power output of the charger is 5W. It has a power input of 5V/2A and a power output of 5V/1A, which is what most wired chargers will provide. It’s lightweight (128g) and has four silicone feet on its base to prevent sliding. Its compact nature makes it an ideal travel companion. AUKEY has also built in several different safeguards to protect users from excessive current, overheating, and overcharging.
User Experience
AUKEY makes some nice products but the packaging for this charger is pretty sad. My wireless charger arrived in a brown cardboard box that says AUKEY 5W Wireless Charger and has an outlined drawing of the charging pad. When you open the box, you will find the paperwork (24-month warranty card and user manual) resting on top of the charger. Beneath the charger, is a 1m long USB-C to USB-A cable. There is no power adapter included.
Once I unboxed the charger, I have to say that I was quite impressed with its design. For a compact wireless charger, it really looks great. The charging pad feels like a smooth pebble. It has a nice weight to it that keeps it from sliding around your desk and it feels really well-built. I’ve also been impressed by the fact that this charger uses a USB-C connection rather than a Micro USB one. It seems like many wireless charging pads still use Micro USB so it’s refreshing to see USB-C being used in this sort of situation.
To test out the charger, I charged my iPhone 7 in a wireless charging case using the AUKEY Graphite Wireless Charger. After approximately 40 minutes, my phone gained 20% battery power. I didn’t note any major heat issues although both the charging pad and phone case were a little warm to the touch after it had been charging.
Conclusion
Overall, I think this is a very nice wireless charger. I do tend to prefer the vertical charging docks over the charging pad style, but I really like this one because of its compact nature. It works very well and has a great, classy design. I can recommend this for any type of user.
For more details, visit AUKEY
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