Wireless chargers are still in a grey area as far as use cases are concerned. They do offer some degree of convenience, but even the fastest of them is usually slower than a comparable wired charging option. However, now that Apple has embraced the technology with its latest generation of iPhones, the inevitable deluge of new wireless charging options has begun, and the device we are testing today, the Belkin Boost Up 7.5W wireless charger, is one of them.
The Boost Up is a specifically made-for-iPhone product, boldly proclaiming as much on the cover, even though the Qi charging technology Apple uses on the iPhone is the same wireless charging standard most other devices which support wireless charging use. This means the charger will theoretically work with other devices that support the standard, a fact that is mentioned on the cover as well, but in fine print.
The Boost Up, which Belkin claims it developed by working with Apple, certainly looks the part, with a sleek white finish for the adapter and charging cord that plugs into the base of the charger, as well as the charger itself. The disc of the charger is slightly larger than many others in the market, which enables even heftier phones like the 8 Plus to quickly find a sweet spot, and a small rubberised ring that runs along its centre helps keep phones from slipping off.
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The Boost Up provides full 7.5W power output to Apple devices running iOS 11.2 and later, which is faster than the 5W output of the bundled iPhone charger, but much slower than Apple’s fast-charging wired solutions. The iPhone 8 Plus we tested needed around three-and-a-half hours to get to a full charge, which is acceptable as far as the wireless standard goes.
Despite the obvious Apple link, we did try out the Boost Up with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and S7, and here the Belkin’s Achilles Heel of maxing out at 5W for non-Apple devices made itself known. The Galaxy S7 battery charged at a trickle, needing around five hours to finally top up. We tried out the charger with a couple of hard-shell and TPU cases and had no issues getting the devices to charge with them on.
Either way, because of the inherent limitations of wireless charging and speeds supported by different manufacturers, the Belkin is not going to break any speed records, and will be an agonising experience for anyone used to fast wired charging.
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The Boost Up is a good fit for iPhone owners who need wireless charging at their bedside, though it is hard to recommend for use at office, as it is not suited for a quick splash and dash. Android users should know better than to ignore the very obvious disclaimers on the packaging, and would be better served by investing in a faster compatible charger. Belkin has a 10W version of the Boost Up listed on their website which should do the trick, but we had trouble finding it online. As for this particular version, it usually retails around ₹6,000 to ₹7,000. It’s a lot to pay for a use case we are still not sold on, but if you own a current generation iPhone and do not want to fumble with cables at the bedside at night, the Boost Up will get the job done.