You wanted an AirPower, but Apple failed you. While the Choetech Dual Wireless Fast Charger does not pack all the advanced features of Apple’s infamous vaporware, this five-coil wireless charger does deliver several welcome advantages over standard Qi chargers.
And these come at a fraction of the price Cupertino probably planned to extract from your overburdened wallet. If you want to charge two devices at once, this could be the charger for you.
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Choetech Dual Wireless Fast Charger review
The Choetech Dual works great if you want to refresh the batteries of a pair of iPhones at the same time. The gadget also lets you charge an iPhone and a pair of AirPods in one of the new wireless cases simultaneously. However, it does not work with Apple Watch the way AirPower supposedly would have.
With up to 18-watt output, the Choetech charger delivers the fastest possible charging speeds for the latest iPhones. (Same goes for Samsung’s newest smartphones.) That’s still not as fast as using a Lightning cable, due to wireless charging’s inherent inefficiency. In my tests, it worked perfectly through a sleek leather iPhone case from Woolnut.
If you buy the Dual charger from Amazon, it comes with a QC 3.0 adapter and a beefy USB-C cable. (Oddly, the Choetech website sells those three components separately at a slightly higher price. Update: Choetech issued a promo code or Cult of Mac readers that drops the final price to $30.99 when you buy direct. Just enter promo code IP535EY during checkout to save $9.)
Five Qi coils inside
Perhaps best of all, the five Qi coils inside the Choetech charger’s oblong body — which mimics the images Apple released before quietly canceling its wireless charger — also make it quite easy to charge a single iPhone.
Plopping a compatible smartphone onto the charger couldn’t be easier. Those five overlapping charging coils mean you won’t waste time and energy fussing around trying to find the charger’s sweet spot to get the juice flowing.
One of the dirty little secrets of wireless charging is that precise positioning of your phone is often required. It can be a real bummer with some circular chargers. In fact, it’s the main reason I love Logitech’s vertical wireless charger.
You won’t face that problem with the Choetech Dual charger. The flat plastic charging mat measures almost exactly the same size as an iPhone XS. Because the size and shape match that phone so perfectly, I experienced none of that weird wobbling that can happen when I try to balance my device “just so” on smaller chargers. I’m certain it works well with a single iPhone XS Match as well.
A single phone feels supremely stable perched on the Choetech charger. Two iPhones lined up side-by-side don’t feel bad, either. The charger’s grippy leatherette top surface helps keep things secure, as do the rubbery feet on the bottom.
As you can probably tell, I like the form factor. I like the black color, too, although the dimpled surface proves a bit of a dust magnet. (Choetech also sells a model with a woodgrain surface, which Cult of Mac didn’t test.)
A big, green light
The Choetech charger also sports a rather large green light on its front edge that clearly indicates when your devices are properly aligned and charging. It’s easier to see than many others I’ve tried.
Unfortunately, the light doesn’t switch off when your device hits 100%. And I would not keep this charger on my nightstand, burning like an alien sun, without something to block out the otherwise-helpful light.
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
Choetech: Quality products at low prices?
Choetech is a Chinese company founded in 2013. I see the company’s products everywhere when shopping online, often with alluring pricing.
Some seem like perfectly reasonable options for everyday tech needs. Others, like the Aromatherapy Car Phone Holder Fast Wireless Charger, seem pretty wackadoo.
However, I never tried any of Choetech’s gear prior to this charger.
Frankly, the comically rough writing in Choetech’s manuals and marketing materials doesn’t instill a ton of confidence. (The copy for that aromatherapy charger says: “Adopted BPA free essential oil, ionize essential oils into the air to refresh the air, relieve insomnia anxiety. Making your car fill with lovely fragrance, child – friendly fragrance guarantees your baby a sound sleep.” Other Choetech product descriptions prove pretty loopy as well.)
However, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you buy directly from the Choetech website. All the products also come with an 18-month warranty and “lifetime technical support.”
To help allay any further fears, Choetech calls out its R&D team and its dedication to strict quality control” on its kind of clunky website.
Fast wireless charging, no problems
I’ve used the Choetech charger for several weeks and never experienced any overheating or other weirdness people report with some Qi chargers. Maybe the ventilation holes on the bottom help dissipate the heat that can plague some wireless chargers.
All in all, Choetech’s Dual wireless charger seems like a solid entry for anybody who needs to charge two devices at once and doesn’t need to charge an Apple Watch. You could get two smaller chargers for less, but you’d be sacrificing space on your desk, an electrical outlet and the incredible ease of use that Choetech’s five-coil design affords.
If you’re into convenience, this one’s a winner.
Buy from: Amazon
Choetech provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more stuff we recommend.
