How to convert your iPhone so it charges wirelessly using docks such as the KoolPuck Wireless Charger…
Apple’s iPhone can do lots of cool stuff, like reading your fingerprints, capturing awesome slow-mo video and pretending not to understand your accent because you’re a bit Northern, just to annoy you. But it can’t charge up wirelessly, can it? No, it can’t. Stupid iPhone.
Except now it can, using docks such as the KoolPuck Wireless Charger from Fone Salesman. This dinky wireless charging pod simply plugs into any USB port, or the mains if you have an adapter. It’s small and light enough to stick in a bag and carry with ease, making it suitable for anyone who’s constantly on the road.
However, the iPhone won’t charge simply by sticking it on the dock – that would be far too easy. You first need to stick a receiver into the iPhone’s Lightning port – this is the part that sucks up the power from the charging pod. We tried out the IQI Mobile receiver ribbon, compatible with the iPhone 5, 5c and 5s, which you can order online for £21.
The receiver can be folded around and pressed against the back of the phone, and then secreted inside any iPhone case, so you don’t have to worry about it dangling free or losing it on your travels. It’s not an entirely neat and tidy solution, but it does mean you can still use any iPhone case you like, which is definitely a bonus.
With the receiver slotted in place and tucked away inside our chosen case, we placed our iPhone on the dock and waited. At first, nothing happened. But then we tried fiddling around with the phone, adjusting its position, and after a few seconds the dock bleeped and a tiny green light flashed on. The iPhone immediately started sucking up charge.
So, sensitivity is a minor issue, but we found the iPhone took just over three hours to fully charge using the KoolPuck Wireless Charger, a pretty commendable effort. Admittedly there aren’t many benefits over simply connecting your phone to a computer or the mains via a cable, but at least it shows that any device could quickly be converted to wireless charging, a technology that we really hope is properly implemented for mobile tech going forwards.
The KoolPuck Wireless Charger costs £26.99 (IQI Mobile ribbon sold separately) and we tested it with an iPhone 5s.
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