Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit Review

By Steven Iglesias-Hearst

Manufacturer: A Bitmore, Ltd.
Product Name: Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit
Model Number: UNINC-553Q (Charging Pad) / S93CR-565Q (Samsung Galaxy S3 back cover)
UPC: 0799475088131
Price As Tested: £26.99 (Bitmore)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Bitmore.

Wireless charging, like many other technology related ideas that come and go, isn’t quite the mainstream concept it was dreamt up to be. Maybe this is because plugging your mobile phone, game controller, or camera etc. into a USB port or wall adapter for recharging isn’t quite the hassle it was made out to be. I Could see this being quite useful in my car but the 19v input requirement would mean I also need a power inverter and the movement of the car would make the phone slide around. It could be done but it will need some modifications.

If all of our portable devices had wireless charging capabilities built in, and all we needed to do was buy a wireless charging pad, then maybe wireless charging would take off a bit better. Unfortunately, they don’t. To this end Benchmark Reviews has the Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit on test, for those amongst you out there that are looking for a novel and functional way to charge your mobile devices.

Before we get on with the main review let’s take a look at the features and specifications from the Bitmore website:

“Qi wireless technology is the most modern form of charging devices, which is utilized via a charging pad or charging back cover wirelessly. The Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is composed of the charging pad and the charging back cover for the Samsung Galaxy S3. The charging back cover can be used in conjunction with the Samsung Galaxy, or used with the charging pad. The charging pad is manufactured in a slim design that also has an embedded intelligent circuit protection that allows the charging pad to be powered down once the Qi Compliant device has been fully charged. The included power adapter supplies 19V DC to the charging pad, which equates to a maximum of 5 watts of output power. For easier convenience, the included power adapter has a cable length of 150 centimeters, or 59 inches. The Qi Compliant Power Back Cover for the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been designed to specifically replace the Galaxy S3 original back cover. However, the Qi Compliant Power Back Cover may also be used with other Qi-compatible chargers or charging pads. The embedded magnetic alignment ensures that the user’s Samsung or Qi-compatible device is properly placed on the charging pad so that it may be charged efficiently.”

Source: bitmore.co.uk

In this section we will take a look at the components that make up the Qi Wireless Charging kit.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit consists of a power adapter, a power transmitter (Pad) and a power receiver (Replacement cover).

The Qi back cover is almost identical to the Samsung factory fitted cover. The only difference being a little extra girth to contend with on the Qi rear cover.

When you flip the back cover open you will see why there is a little extra thickness. Built into the back cover is the circuitry that receives the charge from the charging pad. The trouble here is that my Galaxy S3 will no longer fit into my protective leather case with the charging back cover attached due to the extra thickness.

Simply place your device on the charging pad and find the right spot to commence charging. The Qi Wireless Charging Kit works via magnetic induction so you will find there is a slight magnetic pull when you are in the right area. As you can see in the image above, the charging pan has a blue light to indicate when it is charging.

The rear of the box has features and specifications as well as fitting and usage instructions.

The Galaxy S3 Wireless Charging Back Cover receives the charge from the charging pad (5V @ 650mA), interfaces with the phone via the two brass prongs on the right, and charges the battery inside the phone.

The Qi Wireless Charging Pad takes an input voltage of 19V from the supplied power adapter and has an output of 5W. I tested the output with my Energenie power meter and recorded a slightly higher reading of 5.5W (peak). Charging my phone via the supplied USB adapter (rated 5V 1.0A) consumes 6.4W during charging.

Along with the Samsung Galaxy S3 Wireless Charging Kit we received from Bitmore, we also got a few extra goodies to test.

In the original kit was a replacement back cover for the Samsung Galaxy S3. An alternative to that are these Wireless Charging Energy Cards for both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4. These Charging cards sit underneath your original back cover.

A quick poke inside shows you how it all works. For those of you that have been following this technology for some time now this will come as no surprise. Essentially an electrical charge is transmitted over short distance (like radio waves) via magnetic induction.

Samsung had plans of wireless charging in mind when they built the Galaxy S3 mobile phone. There are two points next to the battery slot where the Wireless Charging Card can interface with the phone and charge the battery.

The wireless charging card is much thinner than the replacement cover found in the wireless charging kit. As a result my mobile phone still fits in its protective case. The second bonus is that it will still charge while it is in the case too.

Bitmore also sent us a Wireless Charging Battery pack for an XBOX 360 controller. This is a direct replacement for your original battery or battery case if you are using AA batteries.

The XBOX 360 Controller Battery Pack uses less power than the Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Cover. The battery pack is rated for 2.5W and I measured 3W power consumption with my Energenie power meter.

The XBOX 360 Wireless Charging Battery Pack is available in either black or white. The colour is not far off the colour of the XBOX 360 controller and the battery fit is very good.

Bitmore also have wireless charging accessories for a variety of other mobile devices including iPhone 4/4S, Playstation 3 Controller, and a Universal Micro USB Charging Clip for other devices not currently supported. All of this comes at an extra cost of course. Also, since you can only charge one device at a time, you have to weigh up the cost to benefit ratio when it is just as easy to use a wire.

 

To test the Qi Wireless charging kit and accessories we will record power consumption and charging time VS standard wired charging. There are other factors such as ease of use, generated heat, and convenience that will also come into play and I will also cover those briefly. Charging via a USB lead or wall adapter is so simple now since most devices have either a mini USB or micro USB charging port as standard. The days of multiple charging cables are not yet behind us but they could well be soon.

• Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit
• Qi Samsung Galaxy S3 Wireless Charging Card
• Qi XBOX 360 Wireless Charging Battery pack

Charging my Samsung Galaxy S3 via a USB wall adapter will generally take 4 hrs on average. The wall adapter is rated 5V 1.0A and consumes roughly 6.4W during charging. The Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is a little more complicated. Input voltage is 19v from the wall adapter, from there the Charging Pad must convert this to 5V for the device to be charged. The Qi Wireless Charging Back Cover for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is rated 5V @ 650mA and the whole setup consumes 5.5W during charging. Charging time varied as it does when charging via USB, average charging time was on avreage 3.5 hrs. The Qi Wireless Charging XBOX 360 Battery Pack is rated for 2.5W power consumption and I recorded 3W power consumption during charging.

Each method of charging your devices has its own benefits. I can’t say with too much accuracy which is the most convenient or efficient method as I think both cancel each other out. The charging pad method is as simplistic as it gets but only really saves me the 2 seconds it takes to plug in a USB cable. Charging via USB for me is the most universal – I have a USB car adapter for when I am on the move, a USB wall adapter beside my bed for night time charging, and I have countless USB ports dotted around the living room to charge my devices during the day. The Qi Wireless Charging Pad can charge many devices from the one location (albeit separately) so long as they are fitted with a wireless charging pack. Charging times are too close to call and I only noticed adverse heat when I charged my phone whilst still in its protective leather case. There is a little bit of heat build up when using the wireless charging kit but not to the point where I would start to have concerns – batteries get hot during charging normally and many devices have fail safes built in.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is a very novel bit of gear and represents good value compared to buying both pieces separately. You also get the base kit to charge other devices too. Costs will start to build up when you start buying individual accessories to charge other devices, so it would be better if you could build a custom pack rather than these individual kits and hopefully save money that way.

Portable devices come with a charging cable, and most of these are standard USB to mini/micro USB. There are also a proliferation of USB charging adapters that cover nearly every scenario you can conceive too. Wireless charging is a novelty that probably won’t catch on until there are also a variety of charging pads. I’m thinking of charging pads that you can use in your car, charging pads that double as a tablet stand, or better still a charging pad for your laptop that also doubles as a cooler to name but a few.

In this section I am going to write a brief five point summary on the following categories; Performance, Appearance, Construction, Functionality and Value. These views are my own and help me to give the Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit a rating out of 10. A high or low score does not necessarily mean that it is better or worse than a similar product that has been reviewed by another writer here at Benchmark Reviews, which may have got a higher or lower score. It is however a good indicator of whether the Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is good or not. I would strongly urge you to read the entire review, if you have not already, so that you can make an educated decision for yourself..

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit performs on par with charging via conventional wired methods. I found the wireless charge time was on average slightly shorter than wired charging but it was really too close to call.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit looks good. The replacement back cover is nearly identical and the colour is not too far off either. The charging pad is available in either black or white to suit your own preferences, you will want to make sure it won’t stand out too much (or visa versa) when you are deciding where to locate it.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is made from plastic. It is very well put together and won’t fall to bits of it’s own accord. The construction is lightweight and strong so you aren’t likely to break it easily.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit is a one trick pony. To make it more functional you will need to purchase more wireless charging adapters – which of course will increase costs. It is also a stationary charging platform – a hub for you to charge your wireless devices. Wired charging is much more portable thanks to the variety of USB charging adapters available. Once the battery is charged the pad will stop transmitting power and the light will go out – this stops overcharging and also tells you when charging is complete.

The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit will cost you £26.99 (Bitmore). This is slightly cheaper than buying each component separately, but much more than any USB cable or wall adapter will cost. The costs will also start to mount up when you buy more wireless charging adapters for your other mobile devices.

At the moment I think that wireless charging is a bit of a novelty. Until there are more functional charging pads that can be used in more places then I can’t see these selling too many. If USB charging wasn’t the standard it is then wireless charging might have had more of a chance. If Bitmore could allow you to tailor make a wireless charging pack, with a lower price over buying separate parts, I could foresee many more sales of those than these single purpose kits. The Bitmore Qi Wireless Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Kit looks good, performs well and is well made but this is all for nothing because the price and functionality are not in the same league.

+ Wireless Charging
+ Simple and Convenient
+ Good value as a kit
+ Power usage and charge time on par with wired charging
+ Stops charging when battery is fully charged
+ Adapters for other portable devices are available
+ Well constructed
+ Geek toy – good conversation piece

– Replacement phone cover is thicker than original cover – can’t use aftermarket protective cases
– Single function kit – extra parts are pricey
– Can’t use in your car
– Charges only one device at a time
– No more convenient than USB charging

• Performance: 9.50
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction: 8.00
• Functionality: 6.00
• Value: 7.50

COMMENT QUESTION: How could wireless charging become more widespread in your opinion?