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We like that the Satechi Trio comes with an Apple Watch charger, and that it folds flat for storage. It comes with a 24W USB-C charger, which is nice. But the Trio is larger than other 3-in-1 charging pads we tested, and since the top is metal, it’s clanky and unpleasant to use on phones without cases. Built-in Apple Watch holder to integrate Apple Watch MFi charging cable (not included) and charge an Apple Watch Wireless charging is also energy inefficient — by some calculations it takes 40% more energy to charge a phone wirelessly than by plugging it in. Every 10W wireless charger we tested required at least a 15W wall adapter. The Anker PowerWave 3-in-1 has a 10W Qi charging stand, a 5W Qi pad for wireless AirPod cases and a stand with a slot for an Apple Watch charger. The Apple Watch charger isn’t included. Instead, Anker provides an internal USB port under the bottom cover, along with a clever routing system for the 3-foot charging cable the Apple Watch comes with.
It is fully Apple certified, so can fast-charge any MagSafe iPhone (iPhone 12, 13, 14 or 15 models but not SE) at 15W as well as fast-charge an Apple Watch (Series 7, 8, 9, SE and Ultra) at 5W and Apple AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation AirPods, and all AirPods Pro) at 7.5W. Regardless of the phone, induction charging isn’t as fast as wired charging. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, which we used for testing, can charge via USB-C at 25W. Samsung’s wireless chargers can hit 15W; on a standard Qi charger, it’s limited to 9W. So it’ll charge almost three times faster with a cable than on a wireless charger. The iPhone 13 can charge at up to 20W via Lightning cable, 15W on MagSafe and just 7.5W on a standard wireless charger. If you’re in a hurry, plug it in.This 3-in-1 charger for iPhone, Watch and AirPods has a small footprint, a little smaller than even the Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe reviewed above. It also matches that charging station in terms of charging speed. It’s fully certified for iPhone (so fast 15W) and Watch (fast 5W). Non-certified rivals will charge an iPhone at 7.5W and Watch at 3W. The lower charging pad is rated at 5W and can be used to charge your AirPods or a second phone, although not magnetically and much slower than the main MagSafe pad. The MagSafe iPhone charger can angle and tilt by 35-degrees, and hold the device in either landscape or portrait—so works well in iOS 17’s StandBy mode. If you don’t own an Apple Watch, the cheaper 3-in-1 Modular Charging Station charges iPhone, AirPods and iPad. Also available from Apple. One of the few third-party MagSafe chargers, this shares the sci-fi pedestal design of the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 but drops the Apple Watch charger. It’s a good choice if you don’t have an Apple Watch but do have a MagSafe phone and earbuds with a wireless charging case. Surely dozens of people.
It’s solidly built, with a mostly aluminum construction, and both looks and feels like a premium product. I have what probably amounts to the smallest nightstand around. We have a platform bed, so I had our handyman make a small box to act as a tiny bedside table (and, of course, hide cables). This measures just 5 inches across, but the charger still fits comfortably onto this, above. No matter how small your nightstand, this is going to fit. It’s also sufficiently neutral in appearance to work with most decors. That LED is one of the Otto Q’s few downsides. Its pattern — two fast blinks, then one slow — reads to us more as “there’s a problem” than “I’m charging normally.” Fortunately, it’s not very bright, but the blink could be distracting in a dark bedroom. Still, if you have a MagSafe-compatible phone and want fast wireless charging, it’s worth getting a MagSafe charger. If you’re interested in the magnetic part but don’t mind a slower charge, you can also consider a magnetic Qi charger like the one we recommend below. The base charges at 7.5W and can be used to power up AirPods or a second iPhone, and the Watch part fast charges at 5W.Oh, and the iPhone 12 Mini and 13 Mini are capped at 12W charging via MagSafe, rather than 15W, for heat dissipation reasons. The 623 also comes in blue, white and dark gray, and includes a 5-foot USB-C to C cable and 20W USB-C charger. There are plenty of more practical magnetic charging stands for iPhones, and some that are actually MagSafe certified. But this one’s fun, and it does what it’s supposed to. For plenty of people that’ll be enough. A 3-in-1 charger that can re-power iPhone, AirPods and Watch is a boon for Apple fans, but most of the products we’ve tested take up quite a lot of desk space. The stylish HiRise 3 Deluxe, as its name suggests, goes more vertical and so has a smaller footprint—handy for bedside tables and other places where a giant charging stand is less welcome. If you have any phone in the iPhone 12 or 13 families — including the Mini, Pro or Pro Max — you should consider a MagSafe charger. Rings of magnets on the charger and the phone ensure perfect alignment, and iPhones can charge at up to 15W on a MagSafe charger, compared to 7.5W on a Qi charger. And unlike with a regular wireless charger, you don’t have to leave your phone sitting around while it’s charging; you can use it normally. It even leaves the Lightning port free for wired headphones. (Whether that’s a good thing depends on your relationship with screen time and is outside the scope of this article). The Catch:1 Essentials 10W single-device charger is beautiful, with a linen top, matte soft-touch sides and a color-matched USB-C to A cable (though no AC adapter). It has a white pinpoint charging indicator at the rear of the pad, next to the USB port; it won’t bother you at night, but it’s also hard to see without rotating the pad.
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