RAVPower Qi Wireless Charging Receiver Review - Galaxy S III Accessories

http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower®-Wir...F8&qid=1393455689&sr=8-3&keywords=ravpower+s3
After getting my Nexus 5 and getting spoiled with wireless charging, it was quite troublesome to charge via a usb cable when using my s3 as a secondary phone. So I wanted to get a wireless receiver to go along with the Nexus 5.
Packaging
Not much to talk about here, simple box containing the unit with a small plastic wrap inside. No frills.
Build Quality
The receiving tag is very thin, I can't compare it to others but im guessing they are all comparable. I had no problems putting the back cover on. There wasn't a huge bulge were the tag is. There is a slight bump but you would really have to be trying to feel for it to notice its even there.
Performace
Using my Ravpower Qi Charger it detected the tag instantly. There wasn't any time where I had trouble with getting the S3 to start charging. It didn't get any warmer than usual when charging with a usb cable.
I have a Diztronic case on my S3 and it charged it just fine through the case. I've tried other cases such as the ZooGue case had the same results.
Conclusion
For a mere 10 bucks, its sort of a no brainer for the convenience of wireless charging. I been using it for over 2 weeks and never had a problem with it.
You MUST have a wireless charging pad. Ravpower is offering a 20% discount on the receiving tag when you buy a charging pad with it via amazon. Details is under the "special offers" in the middle of the product page.
I recommend the Ravpower Orbit
Review of the Orbit here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=50243963
http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower®-Qi-...qid=1393456590&sr=8-1&keywords=ravpower+orbit
Note: I was provided a sample for an unbiased review

Do these guys make a Qi receiver for an S3?
krash183 said:
http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower®-Wir...F8&qid=1393455689&sr=8-3&keywords=ravpower+s3
After getting my Nexus 5 and getting spoiled with wireless charging, it was quite troublesome to charge via a usb cable when using my s3 as a secondary phone. So I wanted to get a wireless receiver to go along with the Nexus 5.
Packaging
Not much to talk about here, simple box containing the unit with a small plastic wrap inside. No frills.
Build Quality
The receiving tag is very thin, I can't compare it to others but im guessing they are all comparable. I had no problems putting the back cover on. There wasn't a huge bulge were the tag is. There is a slight bump but you would really have to be trying to feel for it to notice its even there.
Performace
Using my Ravpower Qi Charger it detected the tag instantly. There wasn't any time where I had trouble with getting the S3 to start charging. It didn't get any warmer than usual when charging with a usb cable.
I have a Diztronic case on my S3 and it charged it just fine through the case. I've tried other cases such as the ZooGue case had the same results.
Conclusion
For a mere 10 bucks, its sort of a no brainer for the convenience of wireless charging. I been using it for over 2 weeks and never had a problem with it.
You MUST have a wireless charging pad. Ravpower is offering a 20% discount on the receiving tag when you buy a charging pad with it via amazon. Details is under the "special offers" in the middle of the product page.
I recommend the Ravpower Orbit
Review of the Orbit here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=50243963
http://www.amazon.com/RAVPower®-Qi-...qid=1393456590&sr=8-1&keywords=ravpower+orbit
Note: I was provided a sample for an unbiased review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

woneil said:
Do these guys make a Qi receiver for an S3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah they do but apparently they sold out of the s3. I imagine it'll come back in stock soon
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

The best deal for a wireless charging pad is from Monster Watts, sold through Vivealive (sp). $14.99, is the WiQiQi charging pad. They charge $5 shipping, first class USPS inside the US. The pad works well. Not much to look at though, but good deal for the $$..
I'm using the RavPower reciever. It works well together. What I have found out playing around with the charger, is that if you have a poor connection between the charger & reciever, you will get the on/off cycling. I have my phone in a Seidio Active case with velcro on the back to secure the phone on the Mountek CD slot car mount I use. The extra thickness of the velcro prevents good reception & I get the cycling. If I remove the plastic frame all is good. If I remove just the velcro all is good. The screen will flash once at charge start, turn off, then flash once when battery full, then turn back off. The phone will then remain on the pad in standby with no cycling.
It all works a treat, I can't wait to get my AirDock for the car to add wireless charging there as well.

Ravpower said it'd come back in stock within a week. Also, I don't have experience with any other Qi charging base, just ravpower and they've worked great for me

Related

Zens Wireless Charging Kit

Saw this article this morning. Thought I'd share it.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-S-III-wireless-charging-kit-introduced-by-Zens_id32935
Won't be coming out until September, for about 85 USD, but at least there will be options.
Does anyone know how much the official one will cost?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
anyone know how wireless charging compares to outlet powered charging as far as strength and charge time?
$85 to me just seems ridiculous for a wireless charger when the technology obviously doesn't cost nearly that much. I think even after these official setups come out that I will stick with the palm touchstone conversion if I decide I want to do wireless charging. Even if I mess something up I can buy and screw up 8 of those before I even get close to paying $85.
kmdtcs said:
$85 to me just seems ridiculous for a wireless charger when the technology obviously doesn't cost nearly that much. I think even after these official setups come out that I will stick with the palm touchstone conversion if I decide I want to do wireless charging. Even if I mess something up I can buy and screw up 8 of those before I even get close to paying $85.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, the touchstone cost less, but with the touchstone charging rate is only 500mAh which has slow charging time.
I'll like to see the official one first.
The Qi standard offers a maximum of 1A in low power mode but a lot of the ICs on the market (TI) only support up to 500 mA. 500mA is about half of dedicated wall charging one I believe and the same as when you plug it into your PC to charge.
kms108 said:
I agree, the touchstone cost less, but with the touchstone charging rate is only 500mAh which has slow charging time.
I'll like to see the official one first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------
I plan on modding a case to do this. I am currently looking for some schematics because I have a feeling that this was provisioned in the design of the phone.
giritrobbins said:
The Qi standard offers a maximum of 1A in low power mode but a lot of the ICs on the market (TI) only support up to 500 mA. 500mA is about half of dedicated wall charging one I believe and the same as when you plug it into your PC to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1A is more like it,the SGS3 has a charging rate of 1A through the mains.
i'm not in a rush for one so i'll see bother before I decide.
1Android said:
anyone know how wireless charging compares to outlet powered charging as far as strength and charge time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not too sure myself, but I've heard some people say it takes longer and others that say it takes just as long. I know when my husband had the palm pre and would use his touchstone it really didn't seem to be a very noticeable difference in time.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2
Does seem a little pricey, but would love to pick up one for my desk at work, grab and go when I go out on the floor.
It's new technology(For phones at least) so obviously they gonna rip off the early adopters, I mean I bought one for Nintendo DSI for £3 which has identical technology to what they put in that so I'm gonna take that apart and if it works just buy a cheap battery cover and stick it together.
If it is qi or compatible then the energizer charging pad will work. It is well worth the money imo. I used it with tbolt every night , before my slim, lean, toned s3 arrived. Now I just can't decide whether to ripe one of my spare tbolt qi doors apart or wait for factory s3 qi door.
For what I've seen if the palm is so easy why not use the "proper" dock and hack a tbolt or similar door.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Hopefully this combined with the Verizon version that someone posted some photos of will put some pressure on samsung to hurry up and release the official one...
Sonof the zens unit is $85 then the official Samsung one will be $100or more.
still no word on the wireless kit?
kms108 said:
I agree, the touchstone cost less, but with the touchstone charging rate is only 500mAh which has slow charging time.
I'll like to see the official one first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For overnight charging, this is a good thing - extends the life of your battery. The higher your charge rate, the less your battery will ultimately live. The performance of your battery overall will degrade. Slow charging is a good thing.
If you want a fast charge, just plug into a USB cable if you are in a pinch.
Also, I read in the Galaxy Nexus threads (where the Palm Touchstone mod originated) that there's a software mod they are applying to increase that rate up to be nearly as quick as the 1A charger. The same type of mod may be applicable here.
I just got my ZENS+Shield kit for the S3 that has the protective shield instead of the OEM-style backing. I'm loving it!
Previously I had been using an OEM back with a Touchstone wireless charger installed in it, but I really wanted to have my elago slim hard case that makes the buttons recessed. I made an ugly hack that made it work most of the time but I hated having to fiddle with those Palm Touchstone chargers and making it align to the magnet.
Sometimes my cat could get annoying and just nudge it or maybe the phone would vibrate enough from alerts, it would get into this "charge-discharge" loop state that can't be good for the phone, sometimes even fully lose contact. It was just not very reliable -- I found myself sometimes just plugging it into USB to get a better charge.
The ZENS wireless back fits really well and provides the backing I wanted. I wish the texture was a bit more grippy but it's not exactly slippery. It's on-par with the stock grip. It's a bit heavier and slightly more bulky than the elago case but that's because it provides a bit more protection and has a rubbery pad for some sort of shock protection.
The charger is great too. I can put the phone in just about any position and it'll charge. They even brag it'll charge if you put it on a high volume speaker in the instructions (but it may take up to 2 mins for it to "negotiate" in that case.) It seems to charge faster than my Touchstone.
It's Qi standard so I should be able to use it with any charging pad. I was shopping for a second charger but the 3-position Energizer looks much too big as does the Duracell and the single position Energizer is slanted and I've read some people have issues with it sliding off. I like that the ZENS charger is flat and the size is nice, so I ordered another.
There's one downside to the ZENS charger but I think other chargers (except the Palm Touchstone) suffer the same problem: they do not use USB as a power source. My ZENS charger uses some ugly wall-wart. Also it's a bit more expensive.

Wireless Charging Questions.

Been thinking of getting a Wireless Charger for my N5 but I have a very important question. Will they work through a case? I use a case on my phone and there is absolutely no value to a wireless charger if I am going to have to remove my case to use it. So I am wondering if you can place it atop the charge station while in a TPU or plastic case and still get a charge? I would also like to know how much slower Wireless Charging is than regular AC charging? Thank you.
Landara said:
Been thinking of getting a Wireless Charger for my N5 but I have a very important question. Will they work through a case? I use a case on my phone and there is absolutely no value to a wireless charger if I am going to have to remove my case to use it. So I am wondering if you can place it atop the charge station while in a TPU or plastic case and still get a charge? I would also like to know how much slower Wireless Charging is than regular AC charging? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Yes, wireless chargers work with a case. I've used the LG WCP-700 wireless charger with my Nexus 4 flawlessly with countless cases on the Nexus 4. I fully expect the results to be the same with the Nexus 5. Wireless chargers are very convenient and work great. Just make sure to get a reputable one and don't cheap out on a $20 eBay one.
i also heard that once ur phone is fully charged..the wireless charger will stop charging
I know the LG one stops charging when full. It also trickle charges so if your phone or tablet falls below a 95% charge it starts charging it again till full, then stops again.
All "Qi" standard chargers will work with the N5 with varying degrees of success. They all will generally charge up to a distance of ~3-4mm from coil to coil so they will usually charge thru cases with no problem although there may be a slight degradation in charge rate. I have used several different Qi chargers - the Google Orb, the Owlpad car charger, the LG WCP 300 and the Metrans MWT03. They all charged my N4 'case on' with no trouble although the N4 did seem to charge slightly quicker without the case on. I even mounted the Metrans inside of my desk just under the laminate surface and it charged the N4 fine thru the laminate and TPU case. The Orb was easily the best of lot and charged the fastest, the Owlpad was probably the worst but it was used while driving with the phone generally being used for GPS, music streaming etc and under those conditions, it barely could maintain charge with screen on. With the phone off, it charged fine.
I just got my N5 today and tried it with all of my chargers and they all worked fine, if anything the N5 is less picky than the N4 about placement.
Landara said:
Been thinking of getting a Wireless Charger for my N5 but I have a very important question. Will they work through a case? I use a case on my phone and there is absolutely no value to a wireless charger if I am going to have to remove my case to use it. So I am wondering if you can place it atop the charge station while in a TPU or plastic case and still get a charge? I would also like to know how much slower Wireless Charging is than regular AC charging? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't have problems charging through a case
dwaltuberalles said:
All "Qi" standard chargers will work with the N5 with varying degrees of success. They all will generally charge up to a distance of ~3-4mm from coil to coil so they will usually charge thru cases with no problem although there may be a slight degradation in charge rate. I have used several different Qi chargers - the Google Orb, the Owlpad car charger, the LG WCP 300 and the Metrans MWT03. They all charged my N4 'case on' with no trouble although the N4 did seem to charge slightly quicker without the case on. I even mounted the Metrans inside of my desk just under the laminate surface and it charged the N4 fine thru the laminate and TPU case. The Orb was easily the best of lot and charged the fastest, the Owlpad was probably the worst but it was used while driving with the phone generally being used for GPS, music streaming etc and under those conditions, it barely could maintain charge with screen on. With the phone off, it charged fine.
I just got my N5 today and tried it with all of my chargers and they all worked fine, if anything the N5 is less picky than the N4 about placement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dit you try the N5 in the Owl Carpad? did it work or did you neet to do some mods?
I'm also looking at this charger
KevinWolfs said:
Dit you try the N5 in the Owl Carpad? did it work or did you neet to do some mods?
I'm also looking at this charger
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the owlpad for my N4 and the N5 doesn't play well with my N4 Owlpad. The coils are not aligned and there is little wiggle room in the phone holder. Owlpad does make a N5 version (or a $29 conversion kit to make the N4 Owlpad into a N5 charger). Overall, I wouldn't recommend wireless charging for a car dock. Wireless chargers can't charge at the same rate as a cable and if you, like me, put heavy use on your phone while driving (GPS, bluetooth, music streaming, etc), the charger at best will barely maintain charge and often will lose charge. The beauty of wireless charging is being able to drop your phone at home or office and have it always 'topping off' without bothering to hook up a cable. If you put heavy use on your phone in the car, I recommend direct cable. For the home or office, I definitely recommend wireless. Since going wireless with my N4, my phone seems always fully charged when I leave home or work.
sn0warmy said:
I know the LG one stops charging when full. It also trickle charges so if your phone or tablet falls below a 95% charge it starts charging it again till full, then stops again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which charger is that?
Landara said:
Been thinking of getting a Wireless Charger for my N5 but I have a very important question. Will they work through a case? I use a case on my phone and there is absolutely no value to a wireless charger if I am going to have to remove my case to use it. So I am wondering if you can place it atop the charge station while in a TPU or plastic case and still get a charge? I would also like to know how much slower Wireless Charging is than regular AC charging? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they will work though cases. I had a Diztronic on my N4 and it worked great. The charging is a bit slower but rapid charging isn't the point of the wireless chargers.
Has anyone tried the N5 on the WCP400 (the google Orb) yet? I will tonight but am curious (and impatient) while I'm here at work.
EDIT: someone has; here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2513200
Charging rates: with/without a case, wireless vs. wall ?
Landara said:
Been thinking of getting a Wireless Charger for my N5 but I have a very important question. Will they work through a case? I use a case on my phone and there is absolutely no value to a wireless charger if I am going to have to remove my case to use it. So I am wondering if you can place it atop the charge station while in a TPU or plastic case and still get a charge? I would also like to know how much slower Wireless Charging is than regular AC charging? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So we have the easy answer here ("yes wireless charging works with a case") but no careful studies on charge rates.
The OP also asked how wireless charging rates compare to wired charging.
I would also like to know if and how much using a case for wireless charging affects the charge rate? I use the Google charger (I would post a working link but the XDA site is being *****y about my lack of participation) ( .. play.google.com/store/devices/details/Nexus_Wireless_Charger?id=nexus_wireless_charger ) which also includes a permanent magnet to help align the Nexus 5 to the charger. This is important because if the charging coils are not well aligned charging doesn't work at all and there is much less than a centimeter of margin. Using a case definitely weakens the alignment field because without a case the phone "snaps" to the correct position, whereas with a case you have to feel the alignment field and for the most part position the phone over the charger manually.
We know the distance between the phone and charger coils affects energy transfer (inverse square law for fields), but perhaps wireless chargers automatically adjust the strength of the charging field based on charging amperage or feedback from the phone to optimize charge rates? This would help mitigate the effect of a case but there would still be larger distances at which the field cannot optimally charge the phone. What are these distances, and do some chargers vary the charging field strength based on any kind of feedback?

Official Nexus 5 Wireless Charger, First Impressions.

I had the tilted wireless charger already (link bellow) but decided to get the official wireless charger as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2611246
Of course its a lot better made then the Chinese charger but is it better in usability and charging speed?
With the Chinese charger I was using the stock nexus charger and cable because they are much better then the cables that came with the charger, more detail in the link bellow
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50254993&postcount=116
The info you need to know is that the OEM nexus charger and cable put out about 1000-1100mA while the same cable paired with a samsung 2a block was able to push past 1600mA but not keep it there, leveling out at 1200mA. The OEM block and cable with Chinese charger puts out between 650mA and 730mA
So how does the official Nexus charger compare?
Well to start I tested the new cable with the OEM block and it was putting out just over 1100mA, so we know the cable is better then the OEM cable. Then I tested the new cable with the block that comes with it and got a steady 1600mA and it didnt drop. Now the block itself doesn't say anything on it as to what it puts out, but the charger base says 1.8a, is that what the block puts out? Regardless the block is much better then the Samsung 2a block.
I don't use a case so the phone on the charger itself puts out only a little bit more then Chinese charger keeping a steady 768mA. Now it can drop below and above that number but it really likes 768mA. So while it does have a great cable and block, if all you care about is speed then charger itself is a little faster but not by much compared to the Chinese charger.
As far as usability, I cant get the nexus charger to miss. I can throw it on and it connects every time. With the Chinese one it didn't always connect and i had to make sure i got it in the right spot and make sure, even if I heard the noise, that it didn't disconnect and was actually charging. With the nexus charger I feel confident that the magnets are lining it up and it gets a good connection every time.
As and added bonus, I have heard a lot about how you could possibly charge while vertical attached to a wall. I decided to try this and I can attest that the weak link will be the charger holding the wall not the charger holding the phone, as long as you don't use a case like me. The magnets are more then strong enough to hold the phone vertically, in fact they are more then strong enough to hold it upside down, I tried! The pad that sticks to the surface is just as strong as I've been hearing as well. I literately just slapped it on the wall and then threw the phone up and its holding thus far. I have it only a few inches above my night stand and will update if it falls, but so far it has held up to me taking the phone off and on about 50 times with no issue. I'm not sure how it would hold up as a car mount, only because I don't know how the sticky part of the base would hold up to extreme hot and cold. I image it would probably fall, especially if completely vertical.
I would definitely recommend the Nexus charger over a Chinese one. I you have the $50 then its a no brainier, it was even a couple bucks cheaper then that on amazon and my prime membership got it here on Monday when i ordered on Saturday afternoon. If you only have $13 bucks and don't mind waiting 3 or more weeks then Chinese one charges almost as fast.
I too finally went from the orb to the new charger because I wanted a vertical mount. I'm blind as a bat with my contacts out and wanted to be able to see the time on my phone while in bed. With the orb, the angle was bad and my nightstand is taller than my mattress, making it hard to see. So I got the new charger, put it on the side of my nightstand and it's holding just fine. Holds the phone great too and now I can see the time on my phone. As long as you can get a smooth, flat surface, I don't see why mounting vertically would be an issue.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
just wanted to say, it did end up falling off the wall the 2nd night while charging, the charger from the wall, not the phone from the charger. A good sized piece of 3m double sided tape right in the middle of the charger fixed that and I've had no problems since.
Charger in use
Can you advise please if the Google charger cuts out once the phone has reached 100% or does it change to a trickle charge? Looking at some of the alternatives (e.g. on Amazon) I haven't found any that automatically cut out at 100% although a few mention about changing to a trickle charge. What's your experience in this regard?
S
[Nexus 5 about to be delivered]
I bought the official one and I must say that I'm very pleased with my purchase, Is there any apps which can detect the charging voltage so i may test my charger as well?
zubsz said:
I bought the official one and I must say that I'm very pleased with my purchase, Is there any apps which can detect the charging voltage so i may test my charger as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're root, can use Android tuner from play store!
Tapatalked with my Nexus5(aka the Hammerhead)
Hi guys,
I can see in the UK it costs £34.99 but how much is the delivery charge?
Thanks,
M
how long takes to make a fully charge?
xupthree60 said:
I had the tilted wireless charger already (link bellow) but decided to get the official wireless charger as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2611246
Of course its a lot better made then the Chinese charger but is it better in usability and charging speed?
With the Chinese charger I was using the stock nexus charger and cable because they are much better then the cables that came with the charger, more detail in the link bellow
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50254993&postcount=116
The info you need to know is that the OEM nexus charger and cable put out about 1000-1100mA while the same cable paired with a samsung 2a block was able to push past 1600mA but not keep it there, leveling out at 1200mA. The OEM block and cable with Chinese charger puts out between 650mA and 730mA
So how does the official Nexus charger compare?
Well to start I tested the new cable with the OEM block and it was putting out just over 1100mA, so we know the cable is better then the OEM cable. Then I tested the new cable with the block that comes with it and got a steady 1600mA and it didnt drop. Now the block itself doesn't say anything on it as to what it puts out, but the charger base says 1.8a, is that what the block puts out? Regardless the block is much better then the Samsung 2a block.
I don't use a case so the phone on the charger itself puts out only a little bit more then Chinese charger keeping a steady 768mA. Now it can drop below and above that number but it really likes 768mA. So while it does have a great cable and block, if all you care about is speed then charger itself is a little faster but not by much compared to the Chinese charger.
As far as usability, I cant get the nexus charger to miss. I can throw it on and it connects every time. With the Chinese one it didn't always connect and i had to make sure i got it in the right spot and make sure, even if I heard the noise, that it didn't disconnect and was actually charging. With the nexus charger I feel confident that the magnets are lining it up and it gets a good connection every time.
As and added bonus, I have heard a lot about how you could possibly charge while vertical attached to a wall. I decided to try this and I can attest that the weak link will be the charger holding the wall not the charger holding the phone, as long as you don't use a case like me. The magnets are more then strong enough to hold the phone vertically, in fact they are more then strong enough to hold it upside down, I tried! The pad that sticks to the surface is just as strong as I've been hearing as well. I literately just slapped it on the wall and then threw the phone up and its holding thus far. I have it only a few inches above my night stand and will update if it falls, but so far it has held up to me taking the phone off and on about 50 times with no issue. I'm not sure how it would hold up as a car mount, only because I don't know how the sticky part of the base would hold up to extreme hot and cold. I image it would probably fall, especially if completely vertical.
I would definitely recommend the Nexus charger over a Chinese one. I you have the $50 then its a no brainier, it was even a couple bucks cheaper then that on amazon and my prime membership got it here on Monday when i ordered on Saturday afternoon. If you only have $13 bucks and don't mind waiting 3 or more weeks then Chinese one charges almost as fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered using this charger in the car? From what you're saying, the hold issue seems to be the charger itself. Using double sided 3m thick tape may solve the issue.
The reason I'm curious is because I and many other previous Palm Pre users used to use the touchstone wireless charger in their cars and the phone never fell of even on extreme bumps. It was great being able to simply place the Pre on the charger and if you were lucky you could put the touchstone right in your line of sight (I have an 06 civic so the touchstone fit right next to the steering wheel, to the right. Look at my profile pic or do a search for palm Pre wireless charging in the car and you'll come up with hundreds of results and pics).
Do you think the charger's internal magnets would be strong enough to hold the nexus 5 in place while driving? Right now, I still use the touchstone as a place holder for my 5 as the internal metal discs on the 5 line up nicely with the internal magnets in the touchstone. I did modify the touchstone slightly and added magnets every 90° starting at the 45° position and then the other 3 were 90°apart from the initial magnet. I'll try to post a pic or a video of what I mean. The touchstone is not a qi charger so it doesn't charge but it certainly makes for a super convenient spot for the phone to be especially when using navigation. Also the nexus has not fallen once while driving over some pretty harsh bumps.
What do you think?
Sent from my wondrous Nexus numeral 5
VOLTAGEROCK said:
Have you considered using this charger in the car? From what you're saying, the hold seems to be the charger itself. Using double sided 3m thick tape may solve the issue.
The reason I'm curious is because I and many other previous Palm Pre users used to use the touchstone wireless charger in their cars and the phone never fell of even on extreme bumps. It was great being able to simply place the Pre on the charger and if you were lucky you could put the touchstone right in your line of sight (I have an 06 civic so the touchstone fit right next to the steering wheel, to the right. Look at my profile pic or do a search for palm Pre wireless charging in the car and you'll come up with hundreds of results and pics).
Do you think the charger's internal magnets would be strong enough to hold the nexus 5 in place while driving? Right now, I still use the touchstone as a place holder for my 5 as the internal metal discs on the 5 line up nicely with the internal magnets in the touchstone. I did modify the touchstone slightly and added magnets every 90° starting at the 45° position and then the other 3 were 90°apart from the initial magnet. I'll try to post a pic or a video of what I mean. The touchstone is not a qi charger so it doesn't charge but it certainly makes for a super convenient spot for the phone to be especially when using navigation. Also the nexus has not fallen once while driving over some pretty harsh bumps.
What do you think?
Sent from my wondrous Nexus numeral 5
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Been using the official Qi charger in the car daily, with this set up: http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...es/kenu-airframe-n5-wireless-charger-t2573184. Perfect solution.

Qi charger with multiple coils

I was reading for a while through the various subforums here trying to catch some info on selecting the "best" qi charger for charging our devices here at home (N4, N5 + some others). Finally after reading this review I came to the conclusion that in terms of efficiency, power consumption and charging time more or less all qi chargers perform equal. There are some exceptions tho, like the Panasonic TM101 with it's moving coil or the Tylt VÜ. Both allow free positioning (more or less) of the devices.
I noticed that especially with a case on, proper alignment becomes very important. So you give up fiddling with tiny microUSB connectors but have to deal with aligning the phone to accquire efficient charging. So I wonder is there any affordable charger out there with multiple coils?
sebr said:
I was reading for a while through the various subforums here trying to catch some info on selecting the "best" qi charger for charging our devices here at home (N4, N5 + some others). Finally after reading this review I came to the conclusion that in terms of efficiency, power consumption and charging time more or less all qi chargers perform equal. There are some exceptions tho, like the Panasonic TM101 with it's moving coil or the Tylt VÜ. Both allow free positioning (more or less) of the devices.
I noticed that especially with a case on, proper alignment becomes very important. So you give up fiddling with tiny microUSB connectors but have to deal with aligning the phone to accquire efficient charging. So I wonder is there any affordable charger out there with multiple coils?
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I have almost all the big names out there. I have the nexus 4 orb charger and the nexus 5 charger. The energizer and LG verizon branded one. I also have the Tylt Vu. Now I have the AirDock in the car.
To me multiple coils is a feature and not really required. The only one I have that has multiple coils is the Tylt Vu. Its good, but has a big footprint so that charger remains next to my alarm clock and LG G Watch charging set up. I have the LG verizon charger that my wife uses for the Nexus 4. and I use the Nexus 5 pad at work because that had the smallest footprint. I have used various cases with each of these chargers, including the airdock. From the Spigen Ultra Hybrid to the Nexus 4 replica bumper for the Nexus 5, they all work. Sure the Tylt can charge my phone horizontally, but that's it really. lol.
I guess to answer your question, the cheapest multi coil? Well even though this technically not a mulit coil, it does locate your coil for you on your qi compatible device. Pretty neat IMO.
Panasonic QE-TM101
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=Panasonic+QE-TM101&_sop=15
Here's a cheapy tylt VU clone
http://www.dx.com/p/itian-a6-3-coil...let-pc-mobile-phone-black-325355#.U_O10EFaUTk
And here's a late addtion...the Nillkin 3 coil charger
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/141370021990?lpid=82
Thanks for your answer. The Panasonic charger is, according to most reviews, not supporting trickle charging. If the device is charged completely the coil returns to initial position and the battery dicharges. In some cases there is also the charging coil repeatedly moving to the device and back to parking position again. Plus for some odd reason it is only available from Japan as direct import.
Tylt VU is way too overpriced, although the concept behind it seems great. Even the clone is too expensive.
So far the Nillkin Energy Stone looks good. Just cannot sind any serious reviews of it. Also only shipping from HK only which could be a problem due to strict german customs here

Compatible Magnetic Qi Car Charger

I've been on Youtube for the last hour reviewing magnetic qi car chargers.
Obviously, they all differ considerably for each phone.
I'm looking for one that just has a flat front surface with no arms or clamps, so this means that a magnet of some kind has to go on the phone cover that I have on my P5.
There are vent and windscreen mount versions, I'm looking for one that is as unnoticeable as possible, so forget the windscreen mount type.
Has anyone got any experience with one of these. Whatever I get must not interfere when charging my P5 on the Google Pixel Stand.
Thanks
How is your phone going to stick to a magnetic mount?
With a metal plate inside the phone cover, placed carefully so it does not interfere with the wireless charging on my Pixel Stand and whatever I get for the car. I've had a normal magnetic mount in the car before using this method and it did not interfere with the wireless charging, as long as its placed properly.
The problem with the Pixel 5, and, to some extent, all phones with wireless charging, is that the location of the space for positioning the metal plate is either at the very top or the very bottom of the phone, thus making the phone either very bottom heavy or top heavy and prone to sliding and slippage.
Apple's MagSafe gets around this because their magnetic mounting system is built around the charging coil so as to not interfere with charging and provide a multipoint magnetic connection that is centered, more secure, and stays in alignment.
The only alternative that I've found that works for Android phones and works well is a system like the Mous Limitless system of cases and accessories. I've been using their case, card wallet, and charger mount for about a month now and they are great. If you want more info on them you can just read my post in the thread below this one where I detail my experience with their products. They also have their own info and explainers on their site at mous.co.
jallenhayslett said:
The problem with the Pixel 5, and, to some extent, all phones with wireless charging, is that the location of the space for positioning the metal plate is either at the very top or the very bottom of the phone, thus making the phone either very bottom heavy or top heavy and prone to sliding and slippage.
Apple's MagSafe gets around this because their magnetic mounting system is built around the charging coil so as to not interfere with charging and provide a multipoint magnetic connection that is centered, more secure, and stays in alignment.
The only alternative that I've found that works for Android phones and works well is a system like the Mous Limitless system of cases and accessories. I've been using their case, card wallet, and charger mount for about a month now and they are great. If you want more info on them you can just read my post in the thread below this one where I detail my experience with their products. They also have their own info and explainers on their site at mous.co.
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Thanks for that and the mous info, funny, I was looking at their products online just last night. I think I'll have a closer look.
Cheers
152bobby said:
Thanks for that and the mous info, funny, I was looking at their products online just last night. I think I'll have a closer look.
Cheers
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Actually, just one other question, does the Mous cases work perfectly with the Pixel stand ? If I go down the Mous route, I have to do my research thoroughly, because a case and a car qi charging pad is not cheap !!
I would imagine there would be no magnetic attachment compatibility if the phone attaches to the Pixel Stand magnetically, but, as far as wireless charging, to the best of my knowledge it does not interfere with any other wireless charging devices.
I have two Anker wireless chargers, one pad and one stand, and I haven't had any trouble with either one.
Is there a preferred cigar/cigarette adapter to use with the Mous wireless chargers . If I'm going to cough up this amount of money to accompany a already expensive phone purchase, why skimp on the adapter
They supply a USB-C lighter port adapter as well as a braided USB-C cable with the charger mount, but I also have an Anker port adapter with USB-C and USB-A and it works as well.
Also, just for good measure, I thought I'd also attach a front and rear photo from my mount, to give you an idea of what it would look like.
Just remember, as per my post in the other thread, if you don't want to use the supplied vent clip, which I advise against as it's not very secure, you'll need a mount from another device with a 17mm ball joint. I previously had an iOttie One Touch CD slot mount and it worked perfectly.
Excellent information, much appreciated, thanks. I'll update you with my progress.
152bobby said:
Excellent information, much appreciated, thanks. I'll update you with my progress.
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Thanks. I have placed my order for the P5 case and the vent mount adapter (my intentions is to try the vent mount, if no good, I'm sure I can detach the mount part at the rear and attached it to my car dash with double sided tape). I did manage to contact Mous and they kindly gave me a 20% code for my first order
152bobby said:
Thanks. I have placed my order for the P5 case and the vent mount adapter (my intentions is to try the vent mount, if no good, I'm sure I can detach the mount part at the rear and attached it to my car dash with double sided tape). I did manage to contact Mous and they kindly gave me a 20% code for my first order
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If the tape method doesn't work, some of these options might. Just make sure the ball is 17mm. They all seem to be around $10, so not terrible, and cheaper than buying an entirely separate mounting system just for the ball joint.
Thanks, I've been looking at these, should I need one. However, I don't see these with the part that would go on the rear of the Mous charging pad for the ball part to click in to ?
152bobby said:
Thanks, I've been looking at these, should I need one. However, I don't see these with the part that would go on the rear of the Mous charging pad for the ball part to click in to ?
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The ball cup and threaded nut are on the back of the charging pad.
Of course it is, I've just looked at the Mous air vent mount....I knew I shouldn't have had another beer !
Thanks, I'll see how it goes when it arrives.
152bobby said:
Of course it is, I've just looked at the Mous air vent mount....I knew I shouldn't have had another beer !
Thanks, I'll see how it goes when it arrives.
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My Mous items arrived today. The case fits nicely, the car air vent actually works well in my car, but I can see it pulling off the vent eventually when removing the phone, but it's not where I want my phone. So I have ordered a 17mm ball joint from Amazon, so I can have it exactly where I want my phone to sit in the car. I've tested the wireless charging and magnetic strength and all is good. I have also tested the wireless charging on my two Pixel stands and my Anker stand also and they all charge fine through the case. So all good for a while . Looking at the case in more detail and feeling it, I have high confidence in this case protecting my phone should I drop it. Thanks for the help I've had in making a decision for this purchase.
**UPDATE**
So I have had both the car wireless charger and the Mous case for my P5 for nearly a week now and I have come across a charging issue. I emailed Mous customer support about it and got a reply today, which to be honest, does not really help me and I think they almost admit that the Mous products are not all they are cracked up to be. They refer to iphone (which certainly does not help me).They have offered a full refund, but I am going to do some more testing myself, as I have a 2 hour drive to do tomorrow and I "think" the issue I am having is to do with me using Android Auto (Google Maps) wirelessly in the car whilst charging, I'm not exactly sure yet, but I am not replying to them until I have done this final test. I am going to use wireless Google Maps for half of my journey with the P5 on the charger and the other half with the phone just sitting on the charger charging with no Google Maps on.I have copied and pasted their reply below, my original message to them, is at the end of their reply, so read this first before reading their reply and possibly give me your thoughts ?
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for reaching out to us and I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had some issues with your Wireless Charger.
I've had a word with our tech wizards, and they have suggested that you please see possible troubleshooting advice for your phone not charging correctly below:
1. For Apple users: Apple is frequently updating their firmware, which affects the wireless charging system. Therefore some of Apple's own updates could make wireless charging worse or better while they are tuning the software.
2. Wireless charging works by transmitting power from one coil of wire to another, however, the alignment of these coils is very important to transmit the power efficiently. Please make sure that your phone (even without a case) is positioned correctly and centrally, as this will improve charging time and efficiency.
3. Please ensure the voltage is set to the highest possible output to ensure your charger has the best chance of functioning through our case. Some wireless chargers will not have enough power to transmit power to the phone with a case on so make sure you are using a wireless charger that has power from the mains or uses a high-quality USB adaptor supplying more than 1.2 Amps.
4. We will soon be launching Mous wireless charging accessories which are designed to work seamlessly with our cases and will perfectly auto-align the receiver and transmitter coils in the phone and charger.
However, I can appreciate that this is not relevant for everyone, so you are welcome to return your Car Mount if you still wish.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Richard
Customer Experience Advisor
Mous Products Ltd.
On Mon, 24 May at 1:28 AM , Bobby McLeish
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wrote:
Hello, I have only had my Mous items for a few days. I think there is a issue with my charging pad. It seems to only charge my phone for about 5% and then stops, if I leave the phone attached to the charging pad, it starts to charge again after about 10 minutes and then repeats this. The charging pad itself is quite hot, I think the charging pad is turning itself off when it gets too hot, so I suspect the charging pad is faulty ? I am using the official Mous Pixel 5 case and also the cable and car charger plug which came with the charger. I have ensured that there is no hot air coming from the cars air vent (it is completely off). I think this needs to be replaced, can you get back to me on what to do about this ? Thanks, Bobby.
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152bobby said:
**UPDATE**
So I have had both the car wireless charger and the Mous case for my P5 for nearly a week now and I have come across a charging issue. I emailed Mous customer support about it and got a reply today, which to be honest, does not really help me and I think they almost admit that the Mous products are not all they are cracked up to be. They refer to iphone (which certainly does not help me).They have offered a full refund, but I am going to do some more testing myself, as I have a 2 hour drive to do tomorrow and I "think" the issue I am having is to do with me using Android Auto (Google Maps) wirelessly in the car whilst charging, I'm not exactly sure yet, but I am not replying to them until I have done this final test. I am going to use wireless Google Maps for half of my journey with the P5 on the charger and the other half with the phone just sitting on the charger charging with no Google Maps on.I have copied and pasted their reply below, my original message to them, is at the end of their reply, so read this first before reading their reply and possibly give me your thoughts ?
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for reaching out to us and I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had some issues with your Wireless Charger.
I've had a word with our tech wizards, and they have suggested that you please see possible troubleshooting advice for your phone not charging correctly below:
1. For Apple users: Apple is frequently updating their firmware, which affects the wireless charging system. Therefore some of Apple's own updates could make wireless charging worse or better while they are tuning the software.
2. Wireless charging works by transmitting power from one coil of wire to another, however, the alignment of these coils is very important to transmit the power efficiently. Please make sure that your phone (even without a case) is positioned correctly and centrally, as this will improve charging time and efficiency.
3. Please ensure the voltage is set to the highest possible output to ensure your charger has the best chance of functioning through our case. Some wireless chargers will not have enough power to transmit power to the phone with a case on so make sure you are using a wireless charger that has power from the mains or uses a high-quality USB adaptor supplying more than 1.2 Amps.
4. We will soon be launching Mous wireless charging accessories which are designed to work seamlessly with our cases and will perfectly auto-align the receiver and transmitter coils in the phone and charger.
However, I can appreciate that this is not relevant for everyone, so you are welcome to return your Car Mount if you still wish.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Richard
Customer Experience Advisor
Mous Products Ltd.
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Click to collapse
Is it a slow charging issue? One thing I've noticed with wireless car chargers is that, even when they are getting full power, they can't keep up with the power drain from using maps and other apps. I can't say if this applies to iPhone as well, since my last iPhone was the 4s, and I only have experience with the wireless on the Pixel 5, but whenever I run Google Maps and listen to Spotify at the same time, the power draw and charging hit a sort of break-even.
The Mous charger is a little bit better since it uses USB-C, but my previous charger that used Micro-USB couldn't keep up. I also think heat plays a role in it as well. Hot, sunny days on the dashboard seem to keep the phone hot. Add that to the heat produced from the wireless charging and you've got a recipe for faster battery drain. That's just speculation, though, so don't quote me on that.
All that said, I have noticed it stopped charging a couple times recently on particularly hot days, but once I got moving and the AC had time to cool the inside temperature down it started charging again. I also have both of the vents on the left and right side of the charger aimed directly at the mount to help get more airflow around it.
I haven't seen it happen enough to show cause for concern, but if yours is cutting out that often then it may actually be faulty. If you haven't already, try a different USB-C car adapter. If it does the same thing, take it inside your home and plug it into a USB-C wall charger. My guess is, if it's not a faulty pad, that it's either a car adapter or heat issue, and trying those two things will eliminate one or the other, or maybe both. Finally, just for good measure, if it's still an issue, try a different USB-C cable. Sometimes it's just that simple.
Just a sidebar, if you use Discord on your phone, consider closing it when not in use. I've noticed since their latest update that it burns through my battery to the tune of about 20%/hr when I'm on 5g.
I've been researching this one. It has a heafty price but, reviews have been majorally positive.
I have the Mous Limitless 3.0 case and the wireless charging vent mount with my pixel 5. Had them for about 4 months. The case and mount work very good. Magnets are strong. I've never had the phone fall while driving and it charges at 15w reliably for me. Both vertically and horizontally. I think it's important that you use the included cable and cigarette lighter adapter.
I have an Anker Qi desktop charger and it charges at 15w through the Mous case. Not magnetic, though.
Downside for the Mous is the whopping price tag. I also think the case is a bit bulky but I'm used to it now.

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