Review: Choetech T535-S Dual Wireless Qi Charger

After holding onto a dying iPhone 7 for as long as I could, I finally decided to trade it in and upgrade to the now-current iPhone XS early this summer. When I upgraded, I was mainly hoping for a better screen, camera, and battery life. Outside of those three features, I don't care much, as the iPhone 7 met my needs very well.

The XS does well on all three counts, but one new feature (I think in the iPhone 8/X generation) I didn't even remember existed was wireless charging. Qi wireless charging allows devices to be charged inductively, placed on top of a charging mat or pad. The standard has been around for a while, and other devices had it before Apple's iPhones, but I never thought much of it.

Well, a few months ago, someone at Choetech emailed me and asked me if I'd like to try out their T535-S Dual Wireless Qi Charger in exchange for an honest review (which you're now reading). I was about to respond I don't have any devices I could test it with, but then realized my new iPhone would actually do it!

So, I waited a week or so to get the charger in the mail, and they helpfully shipped me a QC 3.0-compatible AC adapter (which outputs 18W maximum) alongside the charging mat. The banner feature of this charging mat is its five charging coils, along with the ability to charge up to two Qi-enabled devices simultaneously.

Features and Usage

Practically, I don't have a need for dual-device charging—yet. But I did have my friend drop his iPhone XR on the mat next to my XS, and they both charged at the same time. The mat was only very slightly warm after about 5 minutes of charging, and since they were two iPhones, they don't even use the charging mat's full capacity.

I forgot to take a picture with both phones charging, but here's what an iPhone and AirPods look like on the mat:

It has a small green LED on the front which illuminates only when a device is charging:

The LED is unobtrusive, so using this charger on a nightstand would be fine. The build quality is solid, definitely on par with similar devices from a competitor like Anker. The finish on the top is grippy, but not overly so, and has an embossed logo (not painted), so it's nice and subdued:

The bottom is mostly barren, but contains four rubber pads to hold the mat in place, some thin ventilation ports for passive cooling, and all the relevant logos for device certifications (CE, FCC, etc.):

Because there are five charging coils inside, there's not really a dead spot on the pad. This is nice, because I can kind of drop the iPhone anywhere on the pad, in any orientation, and it starts charging. Angles work too:

This last point might not seem that important, but I decided to buy a cheap charging stand to supplement this charger from a lower-end manufacturer, and it only has one charging coil. When I put the iPhone on this stand, I have to line it up in the middle of the stand or it won't charge. This is annoying to me—if I'm going to be able to 'set down my iPhone to charge it', I don't want to have to set it so precisely in one specific spot—that's not much of an improvement over just plugging it in (and getting a faster charge)!

Power Usage and Charge Rate

With no device on it, the pad would use between 0.05W to 0.20W (10-40 mA) of power, so I don't feel bad leaving it plugged in all the time for the convenience it offers.

For the latest iPhones, the maximum Qi charge rate is 7W (which roughly translates to 1-2% per minute), which this charger hits reliably:

Converting from Amps to Watts: 0.82 A at 8.75v = 7.175W

According to its specs, the charger should be able to charge a latest-gen Samsung phone at a rate of 10W—a little faster than my iPhone XS. Wireless charging speeds pale in comparison to the fastest rate you can get wired, though. Using a USB-C charger directly (with a USB-C to Lightning adapter in Apple's case) allows the iPhone to charge up to double the rate (~16W). This isn't a mark against Choetech's charger, though, it's more an imposition of the Qi standard, and based on the laws of physics!

Summary

If you only have one Qi-enabled device, this charger is likely overkill (though it is nice to be able to drop your phone anywhere on the large pad). If you have two devices (e.g. an iPhone and AirPods, or two iPhones, or two Samsung phones), it's a no-brainer. A very good price for a quality charger. I have not had any issues with my charger after a couple months of daily use, and I rarely plug my iPhone in to charge anymore, thanks mostly to this charging pad!

You can purchase the Choetech T535-S Dual Charger on Amazon for $36.49.

You can also get the charger and a QC 3.0 compatible AC adapter direct from Choetech at an even better price using the discount codes below:

• T535-S PowerDual 5 Coils Fast Wireless Charger Pad - 40% off with code IP535EY
• Q3004 Quick Charge 3.0 Fast USB Wall Charger - 40% off with code GIZ34EY