Qi Wireless Charging: AluBase Wireless Review

Now that all new Apple iPhone models support the Qi wireless charging standard, tethering an iPhone to a Lightning cable to recharge the battery is no longer necessary. As long as the wireless charging pad is Qi-compliant, simply laying your new iPhone on top of the pad will recharge the battery. With this new capability in place, the question becomes which Qi-compliant charger is worth buying? If aesthetic simplicity is mainly what you’re looking for in iPhone accessories, then Just Mobile’s AluBase Wireless ($49.95) charger meets this requirement.

The small footprint of the AluBase Wireless aluminum base matches the design principles of the majority of Just Mobile’s iPhone accessories. Sleek and elegant, the AluBase Wireless offers a smooth silicon top to prevent any scratches to the back of your iPhone when placing it on the charger. Like all wireless chargers, the AluBase does warm up during operation. But unlike other wireless chargers I’ve used, the AluBase uses its unibody aluminum base to evenly dissipate the heat so it’s actually cooler to the touch than most other wireless bases. Silicon pads are on the bottom of the base to keep it from sliding on your table.

Since the Qi wireless charging technology is a standard, other non-Apple phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S9 can recharge on the base as well. In fact, the AluBase can recharge those phones using a full 10 watts using the included QuickCharge 3.0-compliant charger.

The only thing I didn’t like about the AluBase was the length of the included USB to microUSB charging cable. I found it was simply too short to stretch between my power strip on the floor and the area on my standing desk to charge. I would have preferred the cable to be a minimum of six feet to account for any such configurations. But as for the functionality of the product, it works as advertised and makes recharging the iPhone’s battery a breeze.

Pros

Elegant, minimalist design
Qi-compliant Apple iPhone recharge at 7.5W, Samsung at 10W
Silicon rings and pads keep the charger from scratching your iPhone or desk surfaces

Cons

Charging cable needs to be longer

Just Mobile’s AluBase Wireless is ideal for those new iPhone owners looking for a Qi-compliant wireless charger that is attractive yet unassuming and gets the job done without getting in the way.