Wireless Charging on Any iPhone?
Apple introduced wireless charging on the new 2017 iPhones, allowing you to charge your iPhone by placing it on a wireless charging pad. This technology has been around for a long time, but previous iPhones do not support it.
But what if I told you that you can try out wireless charging on an older iPhone, with a simple device that plugs into your iPhone's lightning port? Today, we will be taking a look at Romoss's wireless charging receiver with lightning connector, available on Tmall for ¥39 (S$8).
Note: Only works on iPhone 5 or later. 8K Guy will not be responsible for any damages done by the Romoss Wireless Charging Receiver. Use it at your own risk. Do not leave your phone unattended when using the wireless charging receiver.
Unboxing - Simple Packaging Done Well
When I received the Romoss Wireless Charging Receiver in its thin white box, I almost thought it was a screen protector inside. The resemblance of the boxes is just uncanny. Tearing open the turquoise seal, we see the receiver seating nicely in the cutout of a soft foam.
You only get the receiver in the box. To use it, you will have to purchase a wireless charging cradle or pad separately. There is a tape at the back for you to stick the receiver onto a case, or directly onto the phone. Plug the connector into your phone's charging port.
Charging - Functional But Slow & Hot
For this test I am using my LG WCD-100 foldable charging cradle, which was meant for my LG G3. This cradle is rather short so I had to place my iPhone SE either upside down in order to charge. A taller charging cradle would work better.
For the wall adapter and Micro USB cable connecting to the cradle, I am using the default ones that came with the Redmi Note 4. Using a USB tester, I observed that the cradle's input was at 5V 0.03A without the phone and 5V 1.4A when charging the iPhone at 30%.
With this setup, an hour of charging got my iPhone SE from 30% to 68%. During the test, the phone stopped charging once and had to be re-positioned before it would charge again. At this rate, charging is actually pretty slow, but that is to be expected from wireless charging.
While charging, the phone turned warm while the receiver became slightly hot. It is not hot enough to hurt your hand, but I do not feel safe leaving my phone to charge like this at night. For me, this is just a toy and not something I will be using daily.
Tear Down - A Quick Look Insides
What is insider the Romoss Wireless Charging Receiver? Only one way to find out. Taking apart the wireless charging receiver is as simple as peeling off the sticker covering the front and back of the Romoss wireless charging receiver.
Removing the sticker on the cradle/pad facing side reveals a metal coil on top of a plastic board, probably for insulation. The metal coil is connected to the circuit board, which can be exposed when removing the sticker covering the other side.
The metal coil and circuit board are held together in a transparent plastic frame, with two pieces of stickers holding everything together. Interesting.
Conclusion - Use At Your Own Risk
No doubt the Romoss Wireless Charging Receiver works, but it is not approved by Apple, so if anything happens to your phone while charging, Apple will not be able to help you. The risk is not worth the convenience in my opinion.
