Take your wireless charging experience to the next level with Satechi’s Qi-enabled charger.
When it comes to finding accessories to compliment my Apple products, I take special care in which companies I put my trust in. Satechi has been a company I’ve kept my eye on for some time now, they make wonderful gear for the Apple ecosystem. One of their most recent product releases is the Aluminum Wireless Charger.
The Aluminum Wireless Charger allows you to wirelessly charge your Qi compatible devices by simply laying your smartphone onto the charging pad. This charger is compatible with fast charging, which charges your device 1.4 times faster than standard wireless charging pads. The Satechi charger does not come with a power adapter to plug into the wall. Per the instructions of the product, users are instructed to use a QC 2.0 or Samsung original adapter and cable to enable the fast charge feature.
The charger has an ultra-slim profile and a nice Diamond-cut Chamfered Edge. It was designed this way so that it would generate less heat and therefore ensure more efficient charging. There is a small Plus in the center of the charging pad that lets you know to place your phone directly in the center and not hang it off the side. There is a small LED indicator on the front of the charging pad that lets you know when your device is charging (blue) and when your device is fully charged (green). For iOS users, it’s important to note that the green light indicating a full charge will not turn on. The blue light will stay on and keep the devices charging (iPhone 8/8 Plus/X).
UNBOXING
When you first take a look at the box, it looks simple. It’s about the size of an XBOX game box and has Satechi branding on it. The inside contains a plastic mold that the wireless charger fits in and a wrapped up Micro USB cable. If I had any complaints about this product it would be that it uses Micro USB instead of USB-C to provide power. Satechi also includes a single, tri-fold instruction manual for the charger. You can download the quick reference guide from their website.
TESTING
I used my iPhone X to complete field testing of the Aluminum Wireless Charger. I plugged the charger directly into the wall using a 12W power adapter. The specs for the device suggest using a Quick Charge charger to get 9W charging. Since I didn’t have that available, I chose to go with the charger that came with my 12-inch iPad Pro — the 12W adapter.
I set my phone on the charging pad and noted the battery level and time. When I started I was at 45% battery. After 20 minutes, the battery had gained 9%. After more than an hour (68 minutes), the battery had gained an additional 30%. I figured this was a rate of 2.2% battery life per minute of charging for the iPhone X. I don’t know how this compares to an Android product with fast charging capabilities but in direct comparison to a standard wireless charger, it is a faster charge. I used another wireless charger (Bezalel Futura X) to see how quickly it charged. I got a rate of 1.6% per minute with it.
In addition to the charger testing, I also want to note that I did not notice any major heat issues with the charging pad.
CONCLUSIONS
Satechi has done a really nice job with the design of this product. And even though Apple did not start wireless charging, I believe that we will see more and more wireless chargers enter the market since iPhones are now equipped with it. There are quite a few options out there, but I really like Satechi’s design and execution of this particular device. Satechi did it right with there wireless Qi charger.
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