“The Belkin Boost Up 7.5W wireless charging pad comes with support for Qi Wireless Charging technology”
After years of manufacturing metal-clad iPhones, last year Apple decided to skim through its design archives and bring back the glass-sandwich design from 2010’s iPhone 4. As a result, iPhone loyalists were blessed with devices which flaunted the more curvy and rounded design in a glass and metal body. Apart from offering a more uniform and sleek appearance, the iPhone 8 (review), iPhone 8 Plus (review) and iPhone X (review) were also the first iPhones to come with support for wireless charging.
At the same event where the new iPhones were launched, Apple showcased the AirPower, a wireless charging mat that can juice up multiple devices together. Sadly, the company is yet to launch the accessory. And this was an opportunity for the after-market accessory manufactures, one that Belkin didn’t miss. I received the review unit of Belkin Boost Up 7.5W wireless charging pad, which is one of the first wireless chargers for iPhone and here’s what it brings to the table.
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The lowdown
The Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad is a circular disc-shaped charger standing just 15mm above the surface and features a diameter of less than 5-inches. The charger is made primarily of plastic with a rubberised ring on the top to hold the smartphone in place and the same rubberised material can be found at the base to keep the charger stationary. Belkin claims that the accessory can deliver up to 7.5W, which puts the Boost Up wireless charger in the fast charging category. A 5-foot cable with wall adapter is provided with the charger, which has a moulded connecting pin that integrates seamlessly with the aesthetics.
This is all there is to it. You lay down the smartphone on top of the charger and a green light comes on indicating that the phone is charging.
How it fares?
First thing first, you cannot just place the iPhone on top of the charger and expect it to start charging right away. You will need to align the iPhone in the dead centre until the green LED light comes on. I drained the iPhone down to zero, to the point where it shut itself down, to check how long it takes to charge fully. As soon as I placed the smartphone on the pad, it started charging right without the need for iPhone to be on for the charger to detect it, which comes as a pleasant surprise.
The Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad took around 2.5 hours to charge the iPhone 8 from zero to 100, which is almost the same duration as the stock charger provided with the iPhone. The minimal difference in charging time can be credited to the fact that the stock charger is rated at 5W, which is slightly lower than the rated 7.5W output promised by the Belkin Wireless charging pad.
To put things into a better perspective, I charged the same iPhone 8 on a generic wireless charger with a 1A output. This one took close to four hours to charge the phone from zero to 100, which is almost double the time taken by Belkin charger. So, Belkin does charge at a much faster pace than a generic Qi-compatible wireless charger. Lastly, the Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad was able to charge the phone through a soft as well as hard case at the same speed. Belkin assures that the charging pad can charge through most cases that are up to 3mm thick.
Should you buy it?
Honestly speaking, the Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad is definitely worth having for all iPhone users. The Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad will give you the same charging speed as the official Apple charger provided in the box with the convenience of not having to worry about cables.
I know for sure that the AirPower Mat, as and when it is launched, will come with a hefty price tag as is the case with all Apple products. So, in case you don’t own multiple Apple products along with an iPhone 8 or above with a pressing need to charge them together, the Belkin Boost Up 7.5W Wireless Charging Pad is a great alternative. It’s much more pocket-friendly (available for around Rs 4,000 on e-commerce stores), looks good, and charges at the same speed as the stock charger. Lastly, the charging pad is also compatible with most Qi-supported devices including Android smartphones (I tested it on the Samsung Galaxy S9), which is a plus.
