The Qi2 wireless charging standard was announced in early 2023, and some twelve months on, Belkin has lead the charge with the first commercially available Qi2 charging devices.
With thanks to Belkin, we get to play with the BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 15W. Yes Belkin does like to spell it out for clarity.
Qi2 vs Qi (OG)
Apple has been the leader in this field with MagSafe and 15W wireless charging.
The original generation Qi standard limits charging to 5 watts charging speed. The new standard, Qi2, allows certified phones to charge at 15 watts as well as added magnetic power profile support (a la Apple MagSafe) to ensure perfect alignment for the best charging speeds.
First Impressions
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 has a pretty standard design. The circular base for AirPods, a riser stand with a t-bar extending out, one side for a phone and the other for an Apple Watch.
The riser part is chrome and feels pretty solid. The phone charging puck can be rotated up and down so you can angle it to make the screen readable when charging.
The braided charging cable is hard connected into the base of the unit, and Belkin provides a 36W charging brick to power it. Thankfully as in the past the charging brick has been an omission in some products. The 1.5m cable length gives plenty of flexibility as to the placement of the unit.
In Use
Reader of DRN are probably wondering why this heathen is testing this particular unit. Well, the marketing is heavily geared for the Apple fanbase, but Qi2 is a standard for the masses.
I am currently running with a Pixel 8 Pro, which very notably does not support Qi2 out of the box. However I have paired it with a Mous Super Thin case that features a MagSafe compatible magnetic array with the approval of Google.
What that means is, I have a pseudo MagSafe compatible Android phone. For all intents and purposes can meet or exceed the Qi2 charging standard – depending on what hardware you use for charging.
It’s no state secret that I am not an Apple fanboi, not a debate I care to enter into here. But when I got my Mous case, I have to admit, MagSafe was something Apple got right.
Having that magnetic guidance to lock onto the charger made life so much simpler. With my set up, I put my phone on charge on my bedside table before I go to sleep. I don’t need to turn on a light or fumble with a cord, or placement of the phone. I just need to get it close enough to the charging puck and it will just lock on and guide itself into the right position by the magnetic. I can put my phone onto the puck in any orientation and the tractor beams locks on just fine.
Despite having the cats roam around at night, I have yet to find my phone lying on the floor in the morning. So either my cats are avoiding it, or the magnets are strong enough that they are unable to dislodge it when they brush past. My experience says it is a bit of both. Either way it is a good thing.
Belkin claims compatibility with cases up to 3mm. My case is 1.2mm and it works perfectly fine. Although I would venture to say that 3mm is really pushing the limits unless the case has additional magnets.
Other Features
The bits that I don’t get to test is the fast charge for Apple Watch Series 9,8,7, and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2. The charging puck for this sits on the opposite side to the phone and is fixed in place.
Lastly the base is where you can plonk down earbuds where the case supports wireless charging. A little LED gives you an at a glance indication of the battery status.
It is also good to see that Belkin has moved away from plastic and the packaging here is 100% plastic-free. Every little bit helps more us to be more environmentally responsible.
Gripes
I can understand the design decision here but I don’t like having hard wired charging cables into devices. This is just my personal preference.
Conclusions
The Belkin Qi2 3-in-1 BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 15W is a space saver, allowing you to charge your phone, earbuds and watch at the same time.
It is without a doubt aimed at Apple users, but that said, I am rocking my Pixel 8 Pro and Jabra Evolve2 Buds with it. It works just fine if your Android phone has Qi2 support either baked in or via a case.
The unit has a RRP of $229.95 and comes in either white or black colourways. DRN would like to thank Belkin for providing the review unit.
