Go cablefree with a wireless phone charger

WE TEST FIVE WIRELESS PADS TO FIND OUT WHETHER IT’S FINALLY TIME TO DITCH THOSE MESSY CHARGING CABLES.

THANKS TO APPLE’S integration of Qi-compatible wireless charging tech into its latest iPhones, there’s been a lot more interest in this mode of charging, which does away with the need to plug a cable into your phone. Select Android handsets have supported the wireless option for several years now, which uses magnetic induction and very close physical proximity to essentially transfer power through the air.

That may sound like magic, but it does come with some caveats. The main trade-off is speed. A typical Android phone with fast charging takes around 90 minutes to fill up, but with wireless charging, you can basically double that at a minimum. We’ve also found that phone placement on the pad can cause quite noticeable variations in charging speed.

If you use a phone case, you’re likely wondering if that could interfere. The answer is largely no: most chargers will let you use a case up to 3mm thick.

So is it worth going wireless to save the few seconds it takes to plug in a cable and clear up that unsightly cable mess?

HOW WE TESTED

We initially ran a series of tests on a Samsung Galaxy S9+, recharging each from 10% to 100% and using the AccuBattery app to track exact charge performance. However, after we ran some control tests without AccuBattery, we discovered the app was interfering with the wireless charging, causing speeds to be erratic. As such, we re-tested each device from scratch using a Samsung Galaxy S8, and also performed some 5-minute tests with an iPhone X to determine which pads could provide the 7.5W maximum that Apple phones support.

Where a charger didn’t include a wall plug (as was the case with the EFM and Cygnett models), we used the Samsung fast charger from a Galaxy S8.