New on the shelves

Belkin Qi Wireless Charging Pad

Latest kit, including a wireless charging pad for smartphones

Price: £25 Rating: ★★★ Contact: 0845 057 9000, www.halfords.com

IN theory, wireless mobile phone and tablet charging is perfect for cars, as it can potentially reduce the number of messy cables around the cabin. And an increasing number of products are bringing the tech to market. We’ve tested Belkin’s new charging pad, for use with Qi-enabled smartphones, which is now available from Halfords.

An instant drawback is that the big-selling Apple iphone doesn’t feature Qi, so you’ll need a compatible case. As part of our test, we tried an iphone with Tech Connect’s Wireless Charging Case, which fits the iphone 6/6S/plus (and is available for £18 from halfords.com).

The first thing to note is that the Belkin, like most rivals, doesn’t offer 100 per cent wireless charging; the pad still needs a wired power source, such as via a USB adapter in your 12V socket. Away from the car, mains power will do.

There’s not much more to set up than this, though, and if you just place the phone on the centre of the pad it will start charging. A small LED indicates when it’s operating.

It added 30 per cent charge in half an hour; not as quick as if we’d plugged the mobile into the mains, but still fast enough. It does get a bit hot on the back of the phone, so we suspect some of the charging efficiency is lost here.

Using the pad in the cabin isn’t ideal, though, as it will slide around, unlike specialist wireless in-vehicle chargers. Still, this new device gives you the versatility and convenience to charge up outside the car, too.