Belkin Wireless Charging Pad Review: Steady, Reliable But Flawed

Belkin Wireless Charging Pad: Steady Performance

I used the wireless charging pad to charge my iPhone XR. Since Belkin doesn't provide an adapter with the charging pad, I used the 5W adapter Apple ships with the iPhone. On average, my phone took roughly three hours to fully charge, with very minimal use while charging.

Comparatively, when I put my phone on wired charging (again with minimal-to-no use), it took two hours to fully charge. This gives us roughly an hour of difference. If I used a higher-powered adapter, it would have probably charged the phone faster.

I also noticed that the phone needs to be placed exactly in the center of the charging pad. The phone would stop charging when moved slightly out of the center portion, which I found to be a minor disadvantage.

 

Slow, But Stable Charging

Another plus point for the Belkin wireless charging pad is that there's no heating issue. After nearly three hours (and a fully-charged phone) I noticed the charging pad to be slightly warm along with my phone but nothing uncomfortably so.

Compared to wired charging, I felt that I could use my phone easily when on wireless charging. Be it texting or checking notifications, it's easier to use the phone when charging through the wireless pad. However, it was slightly difficult (almost impossible) to unlock the phone using Face ID when kept on the charging pad.

LED Indicators

The Belkin wireless charging pad comes with one LED indicator that displays two colors. When the charging pad is plugged in, a white light blinks, indicating the power flow. The white light is steadily displayed when the phone is charging. The LED indicator displays a Solid Amber color when there's an error or insufficient power source.

The same light is displayed when a FOD (foreign object detected) or temperature fault occurs. I noticed that when the smartphone wasn't placed properly on the charging pad, the LED indicates the Solid Amber color, reminding me to check the error. When I placed a smartphone that doesn't support wireless charging, there was no indication and the LED didn't show any light.

Final Verdict

My overall experience with the Belkin wireless charger was quite satisfying. The trend of fast charging smartphones with equally powerful adapters is developing now, which is currently available only in premium devices like the iPhone 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max. So, smartphones like my iPhone XR still ship with the 5W charging adapter, which doesn't unleash the full potential of the Belkin charging pad, a slight let down for me.

For a charging pad that costs Rs. 4,499, one would certainly expect an adapter. Surpassing the adapter, I would recommend the Belkin wireless charging pad for a steady and seamless wireless charging.