Mophie’s Wireless Charge Pad isn’t new—we first reviewed the product early in 2018. But wireless charging technology hasn’t really changed a lot, so it’s not like this is old technology.
Back then, we found the pad to be reasonably attractive and quite sturdy, with a nice non-slip surface and good charging performance on iPhones (up to 7.5W fast-charging). The pad has a large “sweet spot” that makes it easy to just drop your phone on it and begin charging without worrying too much about precise placement.
We really had only two complaints. The first is that the pad uses a proprietary barrel connector for the included power adapter rather than USB-C or micro-USB. That’s more of a minor annoyance than a significant drawback. The other was that it cost about $60, when comparable chargers could be had for less. This Black Friday, you can snag the Mophie Wireless Charge Pad for only $19.99 at Amazon. That’s more than 60% off the usual price, and the only other time we’ve seen it cost so little was last year’s Black Friday sale.
Mophie Wireless Charge Pad
One of the very few wireless charging pads sold at Apple Stores ($59.95), Mophie’s wireless charging base is a quality piece of gear. But I still don’t like it all that much. It’s a good size, heavy, with a nice rubberized outer coating that prevents slipping. It’s easy to drop your iPhone on it and get a good charging connection without thinking about it. And it supports 7.5W charging, too. But it has two big strikes against it. First, it’s sixty bucks. You can get good quality wireless charging pads, with adapter, for half that price. Second, the AC adapter connects to a little round DC barrel connector, while most other wireless charging pads use micro USB. Using USB would be far more flexible and convenient—you could plug into dozens of different products, like your laptop, and micro USB cables are everywhere. We have a drawers full of them.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor
I have written about technology for my entire adult professional life - over 25 years. I enjoy learning about out how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.