Apple finally embraced wireless charging technology with its 2017 trio- the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. If you have watched that Apple iPhone X launch live then you must be aware that Cupertino giant also mentioned that some of its partners will introduce Qi-compatible wireless charging pads for the new iPhones. Among a couple of partner brands, one was the Belkin which recently announced its new Qi-certified Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad specially designed for iPhones. So how good is this wireless charger from Belkin? Is it good enough to seve as an alternative to good old wired chargers? Let’s find out:
What’s in the Box?
- Belkin boost up wireless charging pad
- Power cord
- User Manual
Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad Compatible Devices
This new Belkin Boost Up wireless charging pad has been specially designed for the iPhones. However, it follows the Qi (‘chee’) standard which means it also work with most Qi compatible phone that support wireless charging. Here’s the list of compatible devices:
- iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8
- Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, and S8 Active
- Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and S7 Active
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- LG V30 series
- LG G7 ThinQ and ThinQ+
- Nokia 8 Sirocco
- Google Nexus: 4, 5, 6, 7 (2013)
- Sony: Xperia Z3, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z
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Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad Review: Design
One of the positive things about this 7.5W Boost Up wireless charger is the appealing circular exterior casing with a neat White color theme that also extends to the adapter and the charging cord.
The charging pad itself measures just short of five inches in diameter, which is certainly bigger than average-sized wireless chargers. Its exterior shell is made of good quality plastic that ensures there is no flex whatsoever. The top surface has matte finish along with a concentric rubberized ring that firmly grips your phone and ensures that it won’t slide off when it starts buzzing – even if you are using the slippery, glass-body kinds without a case.
The charging Pad also includes a LED indicator at the edge that lit up whenever phone starts to charge.
Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad Review: Performance
For this Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad, Belkin claims to have worked in closely with Apple. Both Apple and Belkin have adopted Qi charging standard which is sort of a universal thing in the wireless charging space. In fact, almost all other wireless charging devices out there are Qi certified and likely to work with Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad. Personally, we have tested it with iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9+ and results were similar.
The Boost Up Wireless charger is an improvement over previous 5W charger that we tested and can deliver up to the 7.5W power output to compatible devices. Like its predecessor, we tested the boost up pad with a TPU case slapped on the Samsung Galaxy S9+ and a silicon cover applied on the iPhone X. It worked flawlessly with both devices.
During our test, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus took more than five hours to charge from 10 to 100 percent, but we were also attending calls and messages in between, which is the whole point of using wireless chargers in the first place.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A6+ Review – Compelling yet not competitive enough
Similarly, the iPhone X took around 3 hours 15 minutes to go from 10 to 100 percent.
The charging time is still more than wired chargers. To put things in perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S9 takes about an hour and 50 minutes. iPhone X, on the other hand, comes bundled with a 5W wired charger which takes about 3 hours to go 0 to 100 percent. However, when compared its charging speed Apple 12W fast charger, the Belkin new boost up pad was nowhere close.
Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad Review: Should I buy It?
Wireless charging has evolved but still, it falls short if you compare wired charging. Having said that, it is more convenient than its wired counterpart. We find it ideal to use on our workstation when we are in no hurry to top up the battery and would rather avoid the annoyance of plugging in and plugging out the phone while attending to random calls, notifications, etc. through our day.
Another good use you can put it to is night time charging. It’s convenient to have a wireless charger on your bedside table because it’s even more annoying to bring together the cable and charging port when you are half asleep.
We can recommend the Belkin charger to Apple iPhone users. Android users could also wait for Belkin’s 10W charger that is expected to launch in India soon.
