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FastTech QI Charger Review for Nexus 4

I thought I would share with you my experience of the QI charger I recently purchased from FastTech.
After seeing some reviews of these wireless chargers I thought I would take the plunge & get one myself.
Website.
Firstly, the FastTech website is pretty well laid out, its fairy easy to navigate & find what you want. What I do like about the site is they tend to include lots of images of the item you are buying - many sites usually include a generic picture that's at a poor resolution, but FastTech really go all out to include as much information as possible. This includes data sheets, specifications, size, weight etc etc. The attention to detail is top notch & nothing of importance gets overlooked.
Choosing the charger.
FastTech list quite a few QI chargers. These range from big twin versions for dual charging, specific chargers for certain devices life the Nexus 4, Galaxy Note 2/S3 down to the cheaper generic ones.
I decided to choose this one:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/11...owered-qi-inductive-wireless-charger-for-car-
I would say that this is generic one but for $40/£30 (At time of writing) its not bad value compared to other QI Wireless chargers on the market.
One of the main reasons I chose this version is that it comes with a Micro USB connector rather than a small round power connector like most other versions do. This means I can use any Micro USB cable I own. It also states that charger works via a car charger or a USB port; most other QI chargers only work using a wall socket which provides enough voltage/amp for the device to operate. At the time of purchasing I was highly dubious that the charger would work correctly using an USB port on a PC but I crossed my fingers that it would.
Ordering & Delivery
Ordering is pretty much as expected & only take a few minutes to register. Entering in the details is easy & the website provided clear & easy to follow instructions, so if you are used to ordering online there's nothing to worry about. I paid via PayPal - quick & easy.
Delivery is free so that's a bonus & once your order is placed & sent, a tracking reference is included along with a nice photograph of your item with your address on to show you that its been posted - nice touch!
Now comes the 'negative' part..... delivery! Its takes a long time, approximately 21 days to be precise. That's from Hong Kong to the UK. I've ordered stuff from Hong Kong in the past & its usually taken less than 10 days, buts that's usually small stuff. What didn't help was the parcel tacking - it wasn't very informative. The only time I got an up date was when the parcel arrived in the UK & the tracking reported that it had arrived in the country. However, it still took 4 days from then to get to my house.
I'm not really saying this was an issue for me but I was getting a little nervous whether I would turn up!! So, If anyone orders anything from FastTech please be aware that you might have to wait over 3 weeks for your item.
Packaging & Contents:
The charger arrived in a standard jiffy bag & the box containing the charger was inside. The box was wrapped up with some additional bubble wrap to help prevent it from any bumps or knocks it may suffer from its 6000 mile (give or take!) journey from Hong Kong to the UK. Luckily it had seemed to have done its job as everything seemed ok & the box was fairly undamaged apart from a slight crease in one of the corners.
The QI charger comes in nice thick white card presentation box very similar to the boxes that mobiles are shipped in. Its design is simple & minimalistic with just a few logos & a photo on it to indicate what's inside.
Once in the box you are greeted with the QI Charger. Under the charger & its cardboard support sleeve is the Micro USB cable & tucked away in the corner is the mains wall charger in a box - this is the European version & doesn't fit a UK wall socket. I don't know why, but I convinced myself the a Euro 2 Pin to UK 3 Pin adapter was included but there isn't. The FastTechs website clearly states that the charger only ships with a EURO style plug, I have no idea why I thought that there was an adapter included.
QI Charger - A closer look.
The QI charger is made standard white plastic, nothing special. Its approximately the same size as a Galaxy Note 2, so if you have seen or held one of these then you will know how big it is. One thing that stands out about the charger is that its incredibly light, this along with the cheap looking white plastic, makes the device feel exceptionally cheap. Because it is so light it actually makes the unit feel hollow & its hard to be convinced that there is actually anything inside.
I also think the colour doesn't help. The white plastic picks up mucky marks quickly - in fact it was covered in dirty finger prints before I even touched it. In my opinion, I believe black plastic would have helped the overall look of the device.
The build quality is ok, again nothing special - screw-less design with two half's glued together. The underside has four small corner dimples moulded in the back plastic which the charger sits on when put on flat surface. Its a shame that these aren't little rubber feet to give the charger a more no slip effect when on a hard surface.
Usability.
As mentioned before, I could not check how the charger worked using the mains adapter because it only fitted a European wall socket. So, I tried it out on one of my PC USB ports. I used a USB2 socket because this is the common port that most PC/Laptops have. My PC has does have USB3 sockets but these can provide a different (better) current which may not represent everyone else's setup. Once plugged in the chargers green power light comes on. This light is constant & cannot be turned off unless you unplug the charger.
Unexpectedly, the charger worked really well using only a USB port. This was a real surprise as the wall charger has an output of 2A & a USB2 port only has an output of 500mA, I was expecting the phone not to charge properly because of the big difference in current. It also worked fine when plugged into my laptops USB port.
As you can see from the photos the phone charge 'zone' is quite forgiving & the phone can be placed on the charger without the need to position it accurately. I found that I could place my phone on the charger relatively care free. There was no need to readjust the position or find a millimeter perfect position for the charging that some other QI charges seem to have.
It has to be noted though that the QI charging coil in the Nexus 4 is offset towards the bottom of the phone - about 1/3 of the way up. The induction charging coil in the QI Charger is central, therefore the phones best position on the charger is so that the top of the phone is level with the edge of the charger where the USB cable is inserted. If I placed the phone centrally on the charger it would not charge.
I noticed that there is a very slight magnetic attraction between the phone & the charger when the induction coils are aligned. This is particularly usefully as it helps with the phone location to the charger (you can feel it 'grab') & also prevents the phone from moving/slipping if the charger is place on a slight slope.
When the phone is placed on the QI charger & connects, the charger emits a single beep & a blue light starts to flash in the corner of the device to indicate a successful pairing & charging has started. Also, the phone acknowledges that a connection to the charger has been made and produces a quiet tone to say its now charging.
Strangely, I found that the QI charger actually charged my phone more quickly that a standard USB cable that's connected to a PC/Laptop. It also charges the phone all the way up to 100% & keeps it there. Once the phone got to 100% I experienced no power loss over the space of about 45 minutes. However, this might be a concern as once at 100% the charger doesn't seem to switch off & the phone remained warm.
On the subject of heat, as with most QI chargers the phone got hot while being charged wirelessly. I monitored the temperature of the battery & it never got over 41C
My Nexus 4 has a DBrand skin on the back & it didn't seem to interfere with the charging process. I don't own a bumper or case so I couldn't test how well the charger would work if one of those were fitted to the phone.
For those of you who might want to use the charger at night, the green & blue lights are fairly bright & might be a tad annoying if you intend to use it in the bedroom.
Conclusion.
In a nut shell the QI Wireless Charger that I purchased from FastTech works really well & it actually exceeded my expectations when plugged in to a PC or Laptop.
The position of the phone on the charger is fairly forgiving & a full battery charge is accomplished even on USB. All in all I'm happy with how the charger works & has it has permanent place on my desk at work.
....... but........
However, taking a step back & looking at the whole QI Wireless charging method I feel like its all a bit redundant & not real necessary.
Currently, QI chargers are just too expensive in what they are. The Nexus 4 Orb sells for silly money & the cheap chargers still retailer for more than 10 wall chargers put together! At the end of the day it only charges the phone, and 'Only' is a word that needs emphasising; because if I use a USB cable to charge the phone I can still use the phone with the cable plugged in. Also if the cable is plugged into a PC/Laptop I can transfer files as well. The QI charger takes all these useful features away.
Also you are still tied to where the QI charger is plugged into so you don't gain any real world additional freedom from a charging cable. It kind of feels like a docking station without the bonus of being able to transfer files to the PC.
In a way I feel that QI chargers are sold like a cool iPhone feature - they look cool, people who see it go 'wow' & it makes your mates jealous. But at the end of the day its not really that different to the thing it replaces & may not even work any better!
OK, it looks like from the above statements that I actually hate QI wireless charging & that people shouldn't bother with them. That's not what I think at all & in fact believe that the charger is a cool gadget, I've been showing it off to nearly everyone that passes my desk at work. I've written this review to point out the Pros and Cons of buying & owning a QI Wireless charger & to show that it might not suit everybody's expectations. My only major criticism is the price. The charger I purchased does not look or feel like its worth £30 ($40). If the price drops below £10 ($15) then the price would genuinely reflect the product. I'm assuming that the price currently reflects the new QI charging technology, hopefully prices will start to drop in the upcoming months when (or if) QI charging becomes popular.
So to sum up, if you're in the market for a wireless charger for your Nexus 4 phone then I highly recommend this QI Charger from FastTech. However, consider it more of an cool impulse purchase rather than a must have, can't live without gadget.
Pros
Works as intended.
Fully supports PC USB charging
Charges to 100%
Positioning of phone on charger is quiet lenient
Free delivery & parcel tracking from FastTech
FastTech offer refunds if unhappy with item & replacements if device is faulty.
Show off to your mates
Cons
Feels cheap
Quite Expensive
Doesn't necessarily replace wired charging
Packaging only contains European wall charger
Delivery took longer than expected from FastTech
Get laughed at by mates for spending £30/$40
MARKS OUT OF 10
DESIGN: 7
FUNCTIONALITY: 9
FEATURES: 7
VALUE FOR MONEY: 4
OVERALL: 7
Hope you enjoyed the review. Please post comments below.
Review by Chris B

cmberry20 said:
However, taking a step back & looking at the whole QI Wireless charging method I feel like its all a bit redundant & not real necessary.
Currently, QI chargers are just too expensive in what they are. The Nexus 4 Orb sells for silly money & the cheap chargers still retailer for more than 10 wall chargers put together! At the end of the day it only charges the phone, and 'Only' is a word that needs emphasising; because if I use a USB cable to charge the phone I can still use the phone with the cable plugged in. Also if the cable is plugged into a PC/Laptop I can transfer files as well. The QI charger takes all these useful features away.
Also you are still tied to where the QI charger is plugged into so you don't gain any real world additional freedom from a charging cable. It kind of feels like a docking station without the bonus of being able to transfer files to the PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have one of these with euro plug (not usb). the comment above is exactly how i feel after couple of usage. not only it doesn't do data transfer, but usage too is inconvenient, due to (a) you can't pick up your phone, (b) touchscreen is much less responsive during charge. with that $40, i might as well bought a real dock and other accessories.

Just a quick update.
I can confirm that the charger stops charging the phone once 100% is reached. I think there's '100% with still a little more left to charge' & '100% Full'! I noticed that the charger would still carrying on charging for 5 minutes or so once 100% was reached, I think that it must be because the battery isnt quite fully charged. After that, the blue light switches of the phone is allowed to discharge. But as soon as the phone looses less than 1% the charger recharges it.
It basically trickle charges the phone to keep it at 100%. I certainly don't get the issue where the phone has lost 5 to 10% of its charge once 100% had reached.

Thank you for the honest and detailed review. I was considering this charger and looking for qi wireless chargers for the past few months but was never fully convinced about buying one because its not really as useful as it is just "cool". I thought it might be convenient to make a car dock out of because I wouldn't have worry about plugging and unplugging it. But I think for now I will just use a usb cable and maybe look at wireless chargers again once they're cheaper.

Thanks for the review OP. Like the person above me said, I too have considered getting one of those. The price it's at now is pretty tempting, but I don't think the Misses would appreciate me buying a $30 charger. I do think it would be an interesting thing to have and to mess around with but ahhhh I don't know. And speaking of USB 2.0... When do we think that phones will have USB 3.0?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I bought one of these and it's great - except for the lights and beeping (I'd like to use it by my bed) - has anyone opened theirs up and successfully altered it?

thigger_tom said:
I bought one of these and it's great - except for the lights and beeping (I'd like to use it by my bed) - has anyone opened theirs up and successfully altered it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I decided to have a go today. Opening it needed a sharp blade to help pry open the case (there are a /lot/ of plastic clips) but eventually ended up with everything accessible. Everything's soldered onto a single board with only the coil and USB connector separate. However, the buzzer can be opened up and the metal plate removed which silences it:
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There's a small flat hole in the side - put a small screwdriver in there, twist and the top will pop off. The round metal plate can then be picked out (I used blu-tack) before putting the top back on. I've kept the plate on the off-chance I ever want it to beep again.
A bit more blu-tack to cover each of the LEDs and I now have my ideal charger!

I'm pretty unhappy. I just unboxed mine, set my N4 on it and it's not working. I also bought a charging coil for my Note2. The N4 has the poetic Bumper on it and it seems that that small distance is too much for it to charge through. The Qi standard is 5mm to 40mm. This device doesn't seem to work at even 1 to 2 mm.
As a test I took a plastic SD card case I have that is 4mm thick and the charging coil from the note2 and with it, it won't work. but without it between it works fine.
Basically this thing is useless if you have a case.. I really thought the point of a wireless charger was that it would work through a case. LAME! I'll update if I learn anything more but as of this time, I'll probably be returning or selling mine...

joeavery2 said:
I'm pretty unhappy. I just unboxed mine, set my N4 on it and it's not working. I also bought a charging coil for my Note2. The N4 has the poetic Bumper on it and it seems that that small distance is too much for it to charge through. The Qi standard is 5mm to 40mm. This device doesn't seem to work at even 1 to 2 mm.
As a test I took a plastic SD card case I have that is 4mm thick and the charging coil from the note2 and with it, it won't work. but without it between it works fine.
Basically this thing is useless if you have a case.. I really thought the point of a wireless charger was that it would work through a case. LAME! I'll update if I learn anything more but as of this time, I'll probably be returning or selling mine...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be a defective unit, or the coil isn't fully connected, or not enough juice from your USB. Is yours the same brand as OP's?

hmm, not sure if you have a faulty charge or if you have been unlucky with the build quality of your QI Charger.
I packed my phone up with some business cards & a foldered sheet of paper & it still happily charges up. I would say the gap it about 5mm to 6mm. (1/4" if you live in 'merica)
This is still being charged via USB 2 on a desktop PC.

thigger_tom said:
Well, I decided to have a go today. Opening it needed a sharp blade to help pry open the case(...).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you manage to open it ? I tried to insert a very thin flat bladed screwdriver between the two parts of the device and slide it around it but nothing popped-up or anything, plus it slipped and I stabbed my thumb so I prefer not to use a knife...
I'm affraid I could break it by forcing the screwdriver inside.
I'd like to mute it because I work in an open space office. Also, this "beeep" is pretty annoying. The blue LED and the Nexus 4's LED are enough for me.
Thanks

Nekrozys said:
How did you manage to open it ? I tried to insert a very thin flat bladed screwdriver between the two parts of the device and slide it around it but nothing popped-up or anything, plus it slipped and I stabbed my thumb so I prefer not to use a knife...
I'm affraid I could break it by forcing the screwdriver inside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used a sharp blade from a pocket knife. Inserted the edge of the blade along its length into the groove and used it to pop open the clips (there are loads). I think you could probably do it using one of the plastic pryer devices they use to open iPhone cases. I wouldn't recommend a screwdriver as there isn't enough surface area and the plastic is quite soft so you'll probably just make a load of marks in the side of the case.
You don't need to use the pointy end so there shouldn't be a risk of stabbing yourself doing it like that!

My thumb and I thank you.

Qi Wireless Charging Kit turns on and off repeatedly

I bought a generic Qi wireless charging kit. It has a white receiver which you open up the back cover of the galaxy s4 and then fit the prongs in place. Then closed the back cover and put it on my charger pad. The charger pad is powered by my OEM Samsung 2A output adapter so that should be plenty of power. There are two lights, one red that is constantly on which I assume is the power light. The other light is green, but it flashes. I'm not sure if it is supposed to do this, but pretty sure it is not as my phone will display a popup notification that wireless charging is enabled. One second later, the popup is gone and the battery icon no longer shows the thunderbolt charging symbol. Another second later, the notification comes back and the battery icon shows the thunderbolt charging symbol. So both the charger pad flashes and my phone's notification and battery charger icon appear and disappear every few seconds repeatedly, anyone know what is going on?

Kind of hard to tell without seeing which one you specifically have. Got any links? Have you made a good connection with the contacts on the back of the phone? And are you placing the phone in a good spot on the charger? I have 2 qi receivers like yours and I don't have these problems unless I'm using the official nexus wireless charger. I think the magnets in it do something to offset it. I have another wireless charging pad and I don't have these problems at all.

Stealyourface said:
Kind of hard to tell without seeing which one you specifically have. Got any links? Have you made a good connection with the contacts on the back of the phone? And are you placing the phone in a good spot on the charger? I have 2 qi receivers like yours and I don't have these problems unless I'm using the official nexus wireless charger. I think the magnets in it do something to offset it. I have another wireless charging pad and I don't have these problems at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually do have the link: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/181216698737...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I made sure to buy the GS4 i9500 and almost certain this is a right purchase as the prongs fit perfectly. Based on the instructions, the actual charger is under the symbol/icon, which I have tried to place perfectly. Heck, I tried so many spots with no success. I'm not sure if the receiver is faulty or if the charge pad is faulty. I'm looking into a ChoeTech and Incipio Qi charger right now as its around 30 bucks and have quite some positive reviews.

Well that thing is one of the thicker ones. And I've never liked the design of it. I'd definitely switch receivers. Then chargers if you problem still occurs.

1. check to make sure the contacts on the receiver are not getting disconnected inside the phone.
2. you need to find the sweet spot on your pad when you put your phone on it

Well, I'm in the process of getting a refund on eBay. Guess I'll have to go for a more branded charger instead of some no-name generic.

wireless charging going bad?

I've had a Nexus 5 since mid November 2013. Each night it is charged on a Tylt charger, during the day at my office I have the newer Nexus charger. Within the past month, the Tylt has been intermittently not charging (the green light on the bottom won't light). I could sometimes have success if the phone was turned sideways. But the nexus charger would usually do the trick. Recently the Nexus charger won't get the phone in wireless charging mode either, whether the phone is on or off.
Anyone had wireless charging go bad? Anything to try other than call Google and swap it out? Sean

SeanFL said:
I've had a Nexus 5 since mid November 2013. Each night it is charged on a Tylt charger, during the day at my office I have the newer Nexus charger. Within the past month, the Tylt has been intermittently not charging (the green light on the bottom won't light). I could sometimes have success if the phone was turned sideways. But the nexus charger would usually do the trick. Recently the Nexus charger won't get the phone in wireless charging mode either, whether the phone is on or off.
Anyone had wireless charging go bad? Anything to try other than call Google and swap it out? Sean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have access to another Qi Wireless Charger try it on that, otherwise it could just be a problem with the coil even though that's unlikely. Did you pull off the back cover at any time?

Lethargy said:
If you have access to another Qi Wireless Charger try it on that, otherwise it could just be a problem with the coil even though that's unlikely. Did you pull off the back cover at any time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not 100% clear but I believe when he says the Nexus charger he means the Google Qi charging unit, so he would've tested it on there and the Tylt.
Question: Have you ever removed the backplate? Or maybe dropped the phone? If so one of the clips securing the backplate might have loosened.
Try pushing down on the back of the phone right around where the X or S is andif you hear a click it should've snapped back into place. This is most common for people who have removed their backplate.

The clip that's typically the problem can by located thus:
Form a cross (two perpendicular lines), with one line running along the bottom of the letters in NEXUS on the back cover, and the other line coming from the flash. The clip is located where those two perpendicular lines meet. Press down there to ensure it's properly seated.
The entire purpose of that clip is to ensure that the wireless charging contacts seat correctly. If that clip is unseated or broken, you'll (eventually, if not immediately) have wireless charging issues.
However, it doesn't take much to damage the wireless charging system in the N5. My first unit stopped wirelessly charging after I dropped it from a height of about 2 feet (from a seated position), and it landed flat on its back on a tile floor. Luckily, if you bought it from Google, it's still under warranty, and wireless charging not working is a valid warranty issue. (Hence, why I said "my first unit.")

Review: Note 4 Wireless charging cover Samsung EP-CN910IBU

A quick overview for those who might be thinking about the OEM Samsung wireless charging replacement back cover for the Note 4. I also get into a bit of risk vs cost analysis towards the end.
I have compared both the Qi version and the Powermat version. This information applies to both. They are physically identical. The only difference is which charging standard they support.
Model EP-CN910IBU
Output 5.0v 800mA
S/N RCIFA
MSIP-REM-SEC-EP-EP-CN910IWK
Made in Vietnam
MSRP $39
Be aware these replacement covers add thickness to the handset.
Stock handset (non charging cover) plus glass screen protector: 0.360"
Handset plus EP-CN910IBU wireless charging cover plus glass screen protector, 0.425"
The charging cover adds a net thickness of 0.065." While this doesn't sound like much, it is enough to prevent most cases / enclosures from fitting over the charging cover.
These measurements are taken with a precision micrometer (certified to an accuracy of +/- 0.002")
As a common reference, an average US $0.25 quarter measures 0.065."
Imagine wedging a layer of quarters in between your phone and your case. Chances are it won't fit. Do you really want to use an $800 device with no case? The only case option would be a dimensionally forgiving non rigid rubber bumper.
When used with a Duracell powermat, the charging works as expected, albeit at the slow 800mA charging speed. The sensitivity of proper placement of the phone, centered on the powermat is still an issue. Even a small 0.25" movement out of center will stop charging.
Here are some simple calculations that allow us to directly compare *maximum* charging speeds using the basic electrical formula of Volts x Amps = Watts
Standard Wall charger 5V x 2A = 10W
Samsung adaptive fast charger 9V x 1.67A = 15.03W
Samsung wireless charging cover 5V x 0.8A = 4W
This comparison shows the wireless back covers charge at a rate of that is 60% slower than a standard wall charger and 74% slower than the adaptive fast charger that shipped with our Note 4 devices. In my opinion, this wireless setup is only practical for overnight use and possibly as a trickle charger in an office / desktop environment. It is not practical for use as a primary daytime charging system during frequent and heavy use of the handset.
The cover was $39, the powermat was $50 for a combined cost of $90. Car charging cradles are presumably another $50-$70. As a completely wireless charging solution, this costs about $200 and takes 3-4 times longer to charge.
I purchased this setup as a safeguard against damage to the usb port form a lifetime of plugging in charging cords. I have experienced usb port damage / degradation on previous devices.
Conclusion:
Consider that most of us carry an insurance policy through our provider for about $7 / month ($168 spread out over 2 years.) If you ever use the insurance due to damage, theft or loss, we pay a $200 deductible. Consider that most of us will upgrade to a newer handset within 2 years. This gives us a combined contractual insurance cost of roughly $370 across the 2 year lifespan of the device, and only if you end up replacing the device for *any* reason, not just usb port damage. Otherwise you pay only the ~$170 over 2 years.
The cost of "physical" insurance by way of wireless charging and a rubber bumper case is well over $200 all at the time of equipment purchase.
In my opinion, this high cost and slow speed of wireless charging is not sensible. I will be returning the equipment and returning to corded charging and my favorite case. I will keep the contractual insurance thought At&t. This risk vs cost analysis with corded charging is acceptable to me.

Thank you for your thorough review. I just purchased the official case yesterday from Samsung with a 50% discount coupon, after which, I started researching reviews and cases for it and found that many of the cases I was contemplating on purchasing were no longer fitting. I previously owned the Note 2 with a stick-on qi wireless coil and it worked great so I was leaning towards the same solution for the Note 4 but reading reviews about them seemed to point that the fact that it interferes with the NFC module. I use SoftCard (formerly ISIS) on a daily basis so this leads me to use the OEM back.

el_chiefo said:
Thank you for your thorough review. I just purchased the official case yesterday from Samsung with a 50% discount coupon, after which, I started researching reviews and cases for it and found that many of the cases I was contemplating on purchasing were no longer fitting. I previously owned the Note 2 with a stick-on qi wireless coil and it worked great so I was leaning towards the same solution for the Note 4 but reading reviews about them seemed to point that the fact that it interferes with the NFC module. I use SoftCard (formerly ISIS) on a daily basis so this leads me to use the OEM back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the 50off coupon?

h3ck said:
What's the 50off coupon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you register your note 4 with Samsung (and the samsung account), you should be emailed a coupon for 50% of of items $50 or less from their website

this is a silly "review" and an even sillier analysis.
It completely ignores the fact that all your data is on the device and if you ever have to replace it its a huge pain to back it up and restore it.
It also completely ignores how fragile the device is without a case on it.
It ignores the problem of fumbling around trying to find the correct way to insert the usb cable into the microusb slot (and if you insert the wrong way the tab can snap off) in the dark and trying to mount it on a car charger when you want to just get in the car and drive. it ignores the fact that wires running everywhere make a mess.
I have an iblason armorbox case and the samsung wireless back. Case fits perfectly, when i want to charge i just throw it on the charger. phone doesnt get below 90% throughout the day. I have an ebay 6000mah wireless charger in my bag, a wireless pad in my bedroom in a box and a wireless car charger. When i get home i literally throw the phone into the box and its charging instantly. i put the phone on my car cradle and it charges instantly. I put the phone with a rubberband in my bag attached to the wireless charger and it keeps charging while in my bag. no wires required. once a week i connect the usb cable from the 6000mah portable charger to a computer and leave it. overnight it gets topped up and ready to use for the next week. ive dropped the phone twice already (bumped it off a table and it fell from a placement on top of the car to concrete) with no issues. i dont have any silly insurance and the phone is zero hassle. i can use it in the rain, snow, dust, mud etc without worrying. the phone is always at 100% (never gets below 90%) and i dont need to worry about running out of battery.

zurkx said:
this is a silly "review" and an even sillier analysis.
It completely ignores the fact that all your data is on the device and if you ever have to replace it its a huge pain to back it up and restore it.
It also completely ignores how fragile the device is without a case on it.
It ignores the problem of fumbling around trying to find the correct way to insert the usb cable into the microusb slot (and if you insert the wrong way the tab can snap off) in the dark and trying to mount it on a car charger when you want to just get in the car and drive. it ignores the fact that wires running everywhere make a mess.
I have an iblason armorbox case and the samsung wireless back. Case fits perfectly, when i want to charge i just throw it on the charger. phone doesnt get below 90% throughout the day. I have an ebay 6000mah wireless charger in my bag, a wireless pad in my bedroom in a box and a wireless car charger. When i get home i literally throw the phone into the box and its charging instantly. i put the phone on my car cradle and it charges instantly. I put the phone with a rubberband in my bag attached to the wireless charger and it keeps charging while in my bag. no wires required. once a week i connect the usb cable from the 6000mah portable charger to a computer and leave it. overnight it gets topped up and ready to use for the next week. ive dropped the phone twice already (bumped it off a table and it fell from a placement on top of the car to concrete) with no issues. i dont have any silly insurance and the phone is zero hassle. i can use it in the rain, snow, dust, mud etc without worrying. the phone is always at 100% (never gets below 90%) and i dont need to worry about running out of battery.
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Thank you for your opinion. I will keep mine.
I backup on a regular basis and restoring is easy.
I agree the device is fragile without a case.
I don't want the armorbox or otterbox or any other case that significantly increases the dimensions and bulk of the handset.
I don't charge in the car because I have short drive times.
I don't care for having to box or bag my phone throughout the day.
My job is not at a desk so I can't let the phone sit on a charging pad while at work.
I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on three or four wireless chargers to be distributed throughout my daily locations.
Wireless charging isn't mainstream enough yet to go completely wireless across all devices within reasonable costs. Other devices still require the cord mess. I am an "all in" or nothing sort of person.
The main reason for keeping the insurance is replacement in case of theft. Any new electronics are theft targets. I have had 2 phones stolen in the past. In one instance, I located the thief, removed a few teeth and repossessed my phone. The other went offline as soon as it was stolen and was untraceable. The insurance saved me from buying a new $600 handset out of cash.
Regardless of either of our subjective opinions, I mainly wrote the review to post the facts and figures of physical size and power output limitations. I will wait for resonant charging technology to be released and re-evaluate the cost benefit at that time. My analysis and opinions are there simply to get people to think about the pros and cons.

Wireless charging is way overrated imo. It charges much slower and you still need to have a cord for the charger itself (obviously). It literally takes almost the same amount of time to plug in the USB cord as it does to find the sweet spot of a wireless charger. At this point it's simply a novelty imo. Nothing more.

Each to their own. Any good 3 coil charge base has an enormous sweet spot, so hunting for position is not an issue at all.
If you get calls at night a lot (for work or other), the wireless charging is a god send. Trying to plug it in multiple times in the dark is ridiculous.
Now, when we have reversible connectors, my opinion might change.

JasonJoel said:
Each to their own. Any good 3 coil charge base has an enormous sweet spot, so hunting for position is not an issue at all.
If you get calls at night a lot (for work or other), the wireless charging is a god send. Trying to plug it in multiple times in the dark is ridiculous.
Now, when we have reversible connectors, my opinion might change.
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I hear you man, I'm not saying it's totally worthless, but it's a very niche product imo. Like you have pointed out, it serves its purpose for some people. But I think for the average Joe, plugging in is just fine.
I do see where you are coming from however.

I have been reading about wireless charging for a couple years and never really pursued it on my Note 2 because I was with Verizon and they naturally removed it as they typically screw up phones somehow. I saw so many people that loved it and would go to great lengths to enable it. I decided after switching to T Mobile a couple weeks ago that I would give it a shot. I bought the OEM back and a cheap qi charger off of eBay and was disappointed with having to adjust my phone on the charger to hit the sweet spot. I decided to buy a Tylt charger and wow what a difference! I can literally place the phone on the charger in my case with no concern of finding a sweet spot because the whole charger is the sweet spot. It even works great through my wifes thick leather case. I love it and I find the rate of charge to be at least equal to a standard charger ( not fast charge) and that's great. I watched some netflix last night with my phone on the tylt (45 degrees)and it actually charged while streaming. I haven't personally plugged a phone in for more than 2 years since I just swap batteries out of my Samsung spare battery charger but now when I'm working or surfing at night my phone is always charging wirelessly and I never wake up with a phone that's less than 100%.

Even though it subjectively feels like wireless is as fast as a standard wall charger, it is not possible.
Manufacturers specification for wireless chargering is universally 800mA, or 0.8A.
Check my math in the first post. At 4W wireless chargers are less than half the speed of of a standard 10W wall charger.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app

Hey guys, so I'm looking for a case that fits the added bulk of the OEM QI back. Any recommendations? I'm looking at the i-blason case but open to any other suggestions.
Thanks

syngiun said:
The cost of "physical" insurance by way of wireless charging and a rubber bumper case is well over $200 all at the time of equipment purchase.
In my opinion, this high cost and slow speed of wireless charging is not sensible. I will be returning the equipment and returning to corded charging and my favorite case. I will keep the contractual insurance thought At&t. This risk vs cost analysis with corded charging is acceptable to me.
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"well over $200"? The qi charging back is $40. I got a 3 pack of Qi chargers for $60 (nokia, they come in a bunch of colors) so I could have one by my bed, desk at home, and desk at work. Numerous others are available for $10-$25 on ebay and other retailers. I'll happily pay $100 (qi back + 3 docks) or so to never touch the USB cable, fumble with a cable end in the dark, or try the cable backwards. When charging is easy you don't care about charging speed as much. 0.5 seconds to dock or undock (without even looking) will spoil you.
While I have multiple devices, I end up keeping my devices for 3-4 years with secondary uses. So even if I do get something new within 2 years I don't want the secondary device to die just becuase of a horribly designed charging cable that makes my first nokia dumb phone from the 90s look awesome. Imagine that after almost 20 years of USB might someday actually be reversible, maybe in 2015.
Never understood why the audio jack on today's phones is robust, easy to use, and impossible to get backwards. You could use it 10 times a day for a decade, yet most rarely use it. Nokia used to use a similar connector for charging, I could manage to plug it in with my eyes closed an one hand behind my back. To charge a phone daily you end up with a tiny fragile usb connectors that's easy to get backwards and difficult to get in correctly on the first try without careful examination. Already lost one phone to usb, I'm trying to avoid losing a second.
Both the microusb connector and expoxied in batteries reak of planned obsolence to me. Thankfully the note 4 can minimize both problems.
Oh, one last thing. The Qi Chargers do lose some efficiency. So if you get a charger that's USB powered you end up with a poor charging speeds. So I'd get one of the ones that come with their own wall wart. I use the nokia DT-900 (which comes with it's own wall wart) with my nexus 5 and it charges pretty quickly.

el_chiefo said:
Hey guys, so I'm looking for a case that fits the added bulk of the OEM QI back. Any recommendations? I'm looking at the i-blason case but open to any other suggestions.
Thanks
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I purchased the Caseology Carbon Fiber case to see if I'd have any luck with the OEM charging back....and it worked! I posted pictures here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=57275699#post57275699
Product here:
http://www.amazon.com/Caseology-Samsung-Absorbent-T-mobile-Unlocked/dp/B00N4DIM0A

I have the wireless charging S view cover in combination with the S5 charging dock. I agree with what you are saying. The charging is really slow. Especially for such a high capacity battery used in the Note 4. I would not buy this setup again.

Does the qi back protect the camera?

Yes the qi back protects the camera lens in terms of keeping the lens from scratching on surfaces when you set the phone down. The added thickness casues the back cover to extend just past the lens.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app

syngiun said:
Yes the qi back protects the camera lens in terms of keeping the lens from scratching on surfaces when you set the phone down. The added thickness casues the back cover to extend just past the lens.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
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Actually, Ive found that it does not extend past the camera lens, it makes the camera lens functionally flush with the back. Im a little disappointed in this and sort of wish it was "slightly" thicker. If it was, i think i would end up going caseless. I may end up doing what the OP described and going with the regular plugin. The batter last so long, i dont really plug it in except right before bed, and even then, i dont even need to charge it overnight anymore....

Air Dock 2.0 First Impression

So, I ordered the Air Dock 2.0 for my S6. I want to do a full review with pictures, which I will add when I get a few more minutes, but I wanted to give a quick first impression before that.
As a dock, the nano foam surface works as described. As long as you have a glossy finish on your phone (either the phone itself, a glossy, flat case, or the sticker that they provide) it has an amazingly strong grip. However, if you have a rubberized case like I do (I currently have the Incipio Dual Pro), it does not hold it at all. Which is as advertised, so while I was just a little bit disappointed, I wasn't heartbroken. So, I slapped the sticker on the back (which is actually just a little bit wider than the case so it overlaps on the sides of the case by a little less than an 1/8"), and it worked perfectly. You do have to apply just a little bit of pressure to get it to really grab hold of the phone, regardless of whether you are using a naked phone or the sticker. You can't be delicate with the phone when you are attaching it to the dock. The one thing I wasn't overly impressed with was the sturdiness of the actual mount/arm. I bought the textured surface mount because I was hoping I could use it on the lower part of my dash under the radio which has a textured surface (I have a 2012 GMC Sierra without the center console). It did hold fine when I finally found a flat enough spot to attach it to. However, regardless of whether I had it mounted to the dash or the window, there is a lot of shake in the arm (again i bought the standard textured surface variety, not the long flexible variety). I believe the ball is a standard ball like most mounts have, so I may test fit another mount that I have to see if that improves things.
As a charger, I feel it leaves a lot to be desired. I used the Ampere app to monitor the charging voltage. While sitting still, it charges at about 380mA. However, while driving down the road, I noticed that every time I hit a bump and the mount shook, the charging would sometimes drop down to as low as 80mA. It never chirped to say that it disconnected from wireless charging, but it got very low. I have to wonder if the constant shaking of the mount arm could cause the charging coils on the charger and the coils on the phone to go out of alignment and reduce teh amount of charge. I don't completely understand the technology but I'd imagine they have to line up pretty darn close to each other to get a good connection. On a 30 minute drive on back roads, with either the Ampere app or the Car Home Ultra app running (plus bluetooth and GPS), I only gained 1% on the battery. I fear that with Spotify and Navigation running, it may actually lose battery %. Also, in full disclosure, I did run that app with both the Incipio case on and the phone naked on the charger, with pretty much the same results. I am going on a work trip this next week and will be in driving for about 9 hours, so I will have a little better test case for how the charging portion works. I'll update this post either during or after that trip.
As for the NFC, I tried a couple of different apps (Trigger and NFC Tools/Tasks) to try to get it to start Car Home Ultra when I set the phone on the charger. I was never able to consistently get it to recognize the NFC. I will fully admit that this is the first time I've tried to use NFC for anything consistently (I use Wallet at McD's occasionally, but that's about it). So, I may not be hitting the NFC chip in the phone and the NFC chip in the dock just right. I tried "swiping" the phone in from all directions before attaching it and also tried attaching it at different points as opposed to centering the phone and charger on each other. Nothing seemed to help, sometimes the NFC picked up, most of the time it did not.
Overall, I am not sure this charger is worth $100 (I bought it direct from the AirDock site as opposed to Indiegogo because from Indiegogo you can't return the dock if you don't like it but you can if you buy direct). As a mount, it's very easy to slap the phone on the nano foam pad and it sticks, but as a charger I am not sure it performs up to par. I understand that there is a lot of discussion about wireless charging in general and whether it has enough output to charge when there is a consistent draw from navigation and music apps so it may not be the docks fault that the technology just isn't efficient enough. They could probably sell a lot more units by offering a version without NFC and Wireless charging and sell it as just a dock with BYOC (bring your own charger) for about half of what they are charging.
Let me know if there is anything specific you want me to focus on for when I do a full review with photos.
Thanks!

I have the first gen air dock. I've stopped using it because I experienced similar experiences as you. Wireless charging is pretty slow, especially if display brightness is up and navigation is running. What's worse is that it heats the phone up. In summer months, I'll actually see thermo warnings on my Note 3.
Just like you said about "offering a version without NFC and Wireless charging", I've done precisely just that. I bought an iMagnet Mount from amazon and replaced that with the airdock. I charge it with a wired charger. The magnet is super strong, and now I can really charge the phone without overheating it. Attaching/detaching the phone is still very easy, but I actually trust the iMagnet mount more.

ihuntinde said:
I am going on a work trip this next week and will be in driving for about 9 hours, so I will have a little better test case for how the charging portion works. I'll update this post either during or after that trip.
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Hi,
Are you able to share the results of your 9 hour trip and the phone charging during that? I'm considering getting the AirDock myself.

More results?
Yes, I am also VERY interested in seeing the results from the 9-hour drive please!
I am currently using a magnet setup + wired fast charger for my Note 5. I do love the convenience of magnet mounts, and really hoping to come up with a good solution to add Qi charging now. I have only been able to find 4 alternatives to the AirDock ($20-$50) and all of them have very mixed reviews, so I have been hesitant to try any.
The other thing I don't like about any of these is that they are all windshield mounts, and none have a dash mount. I should clarify... I need a dash mount with a surface of about 1-inch diameter that uses 3M tape. While some of these suction cups may work on a dash, they are typically 2-3 inches in diameter, and that won't fit anywhere on my dash, and I refuse to use the windshield as it would ruin my visibility/safety.
Right now I am experimenting with a DIY solution that cost me about $20 total. I can share details after I am done, and I may even make a Youtube video. Will then do some performance runs to see charge rates. It might be that I am satisfied with no gain, but no loss either. The thing I like about the DIY solution I am building is that it's modularized so I can remove the Qi charger and revert back to my current setup of magnet + wired fast charge, if and when I need that...

Finally I bought the AirDock myself. I am using it with the CD mount.
I use it with GPS nav and spotify music streamed via bluetooth to car stereo. By using the wireless charging it usually keeps the battery stable, it might move by couple percent up or down, depends on the trip length.

Great review. I was considering Air Dock for a long time