Under a thousand: The only wireless charger you should be buying? | Technology News - The Indian Express

Oct 22, 2024

It has been around for a few years now, but wireless charging has not quite become the mainstream phenomenon that many experts had predicted it would be. Today, wireless charging is a niche feature that is mostly seen in high-end smartphones and has yet to make inroads even in the mid-segment. There are many reasons for this. Wireless charging tends to be much slower than its wired counterpart, and relatively fast charging wireless chargers are not only expensive but also tend to need an additional investment in cables and a wall charger. There are some exceptions to this, however, and the most notable one of these rarities is the Revel wireless charger from Stuffcool. We would go so far as to say that it is perhaps the only wireless charger that is really worth buying right now.

The Stuffcool Revel is officially priced at Rs 2,699 but is available for Rs 1899 from Amazon India. Before you ask us why a product that has a price tag of Rs 1899 is being featured in a column called Under A Thousand, here’s a quick clarification – the Revel comprises not just a wireless charger, but also a 20W PD wall adapter and a Type-C to Type-C cable, which you normally do not get with relatively affordable wireless chargers.

All said and done, we think it qualifies for the column as the charger itself individually is not likely to be too far north of the Thousand Rupee figure, although you cannot purchase it individually. Similarly, a high-quality 20W PD charger with a Type-C to Type-C cable will also set you back by close to a thousand rupees. We like Stuffcool’s strategy of selling a charger with a cable and a wall adapter, as one has to inevitably invest in them (or use those meant for other devices) and it makes sense to get them all in one handy, relatively inexpensive package. You get everything you need to get into wireless charging mode right out of the box – no need to scrabble around to get a compatible cable and charger.

The Revel is in the shape of a small disk which can attach magnetically to the back of all iPhones from iPhone 12 (review) onwards (the SE is excluded). It can also charge phones and devices to which it does not get magnetically attached and can be used as a simple charging pad in that case. It is one of the few chargers in the country with support for the Qi2 charging standard, which allows it to charge devices to which it can connect magnetically at 15W, which is very fast for a wireless charger. Needless to say, it is with MagSafe-compatible devices that it performs at its best, though, delivering 15W of wireless charging speed when connected to the 20W wall adapter. It even charges the AirPods and the AirPods Pro. Stuffcool’s decision to bundle a 20W charger with the wireless charger makes perfect sense as 20W is the speed that is needed for the wireless charger to charge at 15W.

In simple terms, the Revel will get your iPhone 16 (review) to about 40 per cent and the iPhone 15 and 14 to about 50 per cent in half an hour, which is decent by wireless charging standards, although it is slightly below the 25W charging speed you now get from Apple’s own new MagSafe charger attached to a 20W wall adapter. Android devices with MagSafe cases can also be charged at 15W, although they charge at a much slower 7.5W otherwise, Stuffcool’s decision to ship a wall adapter with the wireless charger is a bit of a blessing if you want faster charging, as you can simply disconnect the wireless charger from your device and plug the cable into the USB Type-C port for use as a “normal” wired charger. And while 20W might sound slow in this era of 100W plus chargers, it is pretty good for charging up flagships from Apple, Samsung and Google. The best part is that the wireless charger, the cable and the wall adapter all have a premium feel to them, are extremely portable and come with adequate safeguards. You can slip all three into a handbag without any problems at all.

If you have an iPhone, the Stuffcool Revel is pretty much a no-brainer as it can charge it at 15W wirelessly and 20W over a wired connection. That is slower than the 25W wireless charging speed of Apple’s MagSafe charger, but then that charger comes with a price tag of Rs 4500 and no wall adapter in the box. The Revel gets you the convenience of both wired and wireless charging in one affordable package. Yes, you would need to invest in a few MagSafe-compatible cases for your Android devices to make the most of it, but thanks to the wall adapter and cable you can still charge them at a decent clip. The Stuffcool Revel covers both wired and wireless bases right out of the box, which is why we think it is the best value-for-money wireless charging package in the market right now.

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