The best wireless chargers - A buyer’s guide - Android - Canadian apps and news

The best wireless chargers - A buyer’s guide - Android

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Here's everything you need to know about wireless chargers, along with our recommendations for the best options you can get.

There are few things as convenient as dropping your phone on a wireless charging pad or placing it on a stand to top it off. The convenience of being able to pick up the phone, answer a call, and plop it back to charge without fiddling with cables can’t be overstated. Luckily, there is a wide variety of wireless chargers and charging accessories you can get for your phone.

Don’t forget to also check out our guides for all the phone accessories you can get, as well as even more charging accessory options.

What to look for when buying a wireless charger

As is the case with any accessory, there are a few factors to consider before buying a wireless charger.

What type of charger do you need? The two most common types of wireless chargers available now are pads or stands. A pad might be the better option for a nightstand, while a stand will be great on a work desk.
How fast does it charge? A standard Qi charging pad may take a really long time to fully charge a device. To get the fastest charging possible, a first-party charger is definitely the better way to go. Some third-party chargers offer fast charging capabilities, but that’s mostly for Samsung flagships and iPhones.
How many devices do you need to charge wirelessly? Smartphones aren’t the only devices that can be charged wirelessly. You can also drop accessories like wireless earphones and smartwatches on a wireless charging pad to make sure they don’t run out of juice. Instead of getting multiple charging pads, you can opt for dual or trio pads that let you charge two or three devices at the same.

OEM vs third-party wireless chargers

Third-party phone accessories usually offer a better deal, be it in terms of features or price. Things are different with wireless chargers, though. An OEM wireless charger will likely provide the best experience. This is particularly true for devices that support fast wireless charging. For example, you will only get OnePlus’ fantastic Warp Charge 30 speeds with the OnePlus charger and fast wireless charging for the Pixel 4 with the Pixel Stand.

Third-party wireless chargers are playing catch up, so it won’t be long before there are a lot more options available. For example, some accessory makers have already released chargers that support Samsung’s fast wireless charging feature, and a few provide good charging speeds for Pixels and iPhones.

Even if the charging isn’t the fastest, a third-party accessory will probably have the price advantage. However, it’s important to be extra careful when looking to buy a charging accessory in particular. A bad charger could cause irreparable damage to your device.

Things to look for when buying third-party accessories

Before you buy an accessory from a brand you’re not familiar with, just be sure to check for the following:

Look through owner-submitted reviews via sites like Amazon. Do these short reviews look legitimate? For example, it’s possible they are paid or sponsored submissions if they are vague and poorly written.
Look for oddities. Sometimes product reviews aren’t actually for the product you are looking at! This surprisingly happens a lot with 3rd party charging accessories from obscure brands. A 5-star review of a foot massager is not what you want to see when trying to buy a portable power bank.
Familiarize yourself with the return policy of the product. While a lot of products have return periods, some might only have a replacement window, in which case a refund won’t be possible.
We’re here to help! We have a guide for the best wireless chargers you can get, and we will be testing even more options soon. You’ll also find a few of our top recommendations below.

Samsung wireless chargers

Samsung DUO Pad

The Samsung Duo Pad is as good as it gets with wireless charging pads. As the name suggests, the pad can charge two devices simultaneously. However, the Samsung wireless charger Duo Pad takes it a step further by including fast charging support. This means that you can charge compatible Samsung phones at up to 15W while charging an additional phone or perhaps your wireless earphones on the second pad.

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Samsung Fast Charge 2.0 wireless charger stand

Credit: Samsung

If you don’t have multiple devices to charge, the Samsung wireless charging stand will do the trick instead. Supporting Fast Charge 2.0, the stand lets you top off your phone at up to 15W on supported devices. Additionally, the angled pad works out great if you want to glance at the screen while the phone is charging. If your phone doesn’t support fast charging, the wireless charging pad falls back to standard Qi charging speeds.

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Samsung 2-in-1 power bank with wireless charger

Samsung’s 10,000mAh charger is unique thanks to its wireless charging pad placed right on top. It’s capable of fast charging a compatible Samsung phone all the way up to 7.5W in wireless mode and 25W when connected via a USB cable. The device is Qi-compatible which means that you should have no issue using this with other phones as well.

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The best wireless chargers - A buyer’s guide - Android