Much to the chagrin of others, including a fellow moderator on this site, I’ve never jumped onto the wireless charging hype train. The idea of being able to drop my phone down did entice me but I was concerned whether or not this was practical enough for me in my daily activities. And to be honest – I thought adding wireless charging would be an expensive ordeal. So when CHOETECH provided an opportunity to put this to the test, I figured it’s finally time to see if it’s time to finally embrace wireless charging.
My Sprint LG G4 supports wireless charging but for some reason LG didn’t decide to offer it in the standard backs that they provided. I’m a bit perplexed why LG didn’t after looking at the back – the pad where NFC is provided doesn’t seem to be that different from the CHOETECH pad with the obvious exception being the additional two pins on the upper right. After comparing it to the official LG G4 Quick Circle case, which is the only offical way to get the Qi wireless charging from LG, I couldn’t tell you the difference between the official version and the one from CHOETECH. That’s impressive given that the official one is over double the price of the CHOETECH one, making someone wonder why LG is possibly charging this much when others can provide a nearly identical product for a much lower price. I was particularly excited about the fact that I’d have the quick circle clock available – but after a week of using it I think I’ll be looking at alternative clock faces because it’s near impossible to see the white notification icons against the white clock background.
The wireless case is only complete though with a charger and so I put the CHOETECH T513 wireless charger to the test. This particular model does not support fast wireless charging and was not an issue for me since my G4 and Sprint Galaxy S6 don’t support it either. This brought out a difference that I finally noticed – indicating the charge method. On the S6 Samsung changes the offline charging display and charge text when powered on to indicate wireless charging. The G4, on the other hand, didn’t do this and while it certainly isn’t necessary is a nice thing to know. Charging on the pad couldn’t get easier – place it on the pad and when the light turns blue, you’re charging. Placement might be a bit tricky on this unless you remember where the pad is on the device; it took me a few times to start getting the G4 to the right position for charging while the S6 went as soon as I put it down without issue.
I tested both for 15 minutes on the wireless charger and then again through the Samsung USB charger that I keep in my office. In both cases the wireless charger takes about twice as long as the Samsung charger, a noticeable difference below the 70% claimed by CHOETECH on their Amazon store. But to be perfectly honest that’s fine with me. I spend 8 hours a day at a desk and can usually let it sit there, or at home where it usually won’t move from the table or place I put it after return. As long as it charges by the time I get up and go, I really don’t care about the charge delay. This is the case where wireless charging makes sense in my life – maybe not 100% of the time, but I’ve got my backup battery from LG for cases when I’m going long distances or long times without a charge. This solves the daytime solution not just for me but for many who often just plop their smartphone down on a surface for many hours, only picking it up when they need it. And given the pricing of the charger and case from CHOETECH – I’d say wireless charging is moving out of the niche it once was and more into an affordable, practical item for many to use.
Review Summary
Pros:
- The CHOETECH T513 wireless charger is easy to set up and wireless charging is great for desk use
- The CHOETECH G4 case is inexpensive and keeps the style of the official LG case at a much lower price.
- Qi standard makes it compatible with other devices like the Galaxy S6
- Inexpensive compared to other solutions out there
Cons:
- Charging wirelessly is 50% slower in 15-minute tests versus directly charging via Samsung USB charger.
- Placement was a bit touchy on the T513 but is easily countered by the light indicating charge has started.
Product Links:
- CHOETECH G4 Wireless Charging Case (Amazon) – $10.99 at time of article
- CHOETECH T513 Wireless Charger (Amazon) – $25.99 at time of article
Photo Gallery:
Reviewer’s Note: Products were supplied by CHOETECH for review purposes.
Do you use wireless charging? What are your thoughts about it and will this perhaps change the way you think about using a Qi wireless charger? Feel free to continue the conversation by leaving us a comment below!
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