I have always been fascinated with wireless things. I keep waiting for the wireless, battery-less vacuum cleaner, too, but that is a story for another time. I really like my note edge, and I recently decided to do some upgrades, like a screen protector, a new battery, and now, a qi wireless charger.
Here’s what I bought: (Again, not a kickback add.)
IC ICLOVER Smart Phone Ultra Slim QI Wireless Charging Receiver Chip&Wireless Charging Pad For Samsung Galaxy Note Edge N9150-https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9IKNAC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apap_mq4crIL8UNcSp
This kit allows you to install the wireless charging receiver into the back of your existing cell phone case, and for $15, came with the charging pad. It sounded to good to be true. So, I decided to be the lab ray for the rest of you and try it out. Bottom line, if you read no further in this post: buy it.
The qi receiver (literally “energy” receiver, which is what qi stands for) comes with a peel-and-stick strip that allows you to hook it up in about 30 seconds. A tip though: as you can see, I covered my Sim card with a piece of paper, so the qi wouldn’t stick to it, so I could remove my Sim card easier. I then added an extra piece of Scotch tape, to make sure it stayed in place. The connection for this charger was already there, just waiting to be used.
It’s hard to tell in the photo, but it does cause a slight “bulge” in the back of the case, but it is not noticeable when holding the phone.
Once the case is closed, plug in the base and simply set the phone on it to start charging. A green light tells you it is charging, a red light tells you there is power. You can place the phone on there sideways, upsidedown, etc, must make sure it is centered or the could will not line up and it will not charge.
Overall. It works great. Some statistics for the curious:
After several time tests, it averages a charge of 0.25% per minute, or 1% every 4 minutes. So it is not super fast. More of an all night charger.
100% = 400 minutes = 6 hours, 40 minutes.
It tends to get warm. After charging, it is consistently around 115 degrees Fahrenheit for both the phone and the base unit, measured with an infrared thermometer.
Just like with normal charging. My phone beeps to tell me it is charging when I set it on the base, and my LED light for charging comes on. So your phone thinks it is plugged in.
There really are only two downsides:
#1. You can’t really use the phone while charging it this way, as it needs to stay centered on the base.
#2. It charges so slowly, I suspect you could drain it faster than it could charge with heavy use.
But, for those times, you could always just use an old school cord. Overall, I think it is worth it for my nightstand, and I am thinking of getting a charging base for my desk at work.
Linux – keep it simple.