Despite my initial skepticism, I’m now sold on Qi wireless chargers that add integrated fans to keep your phone cool while charging. I thought they would be too noisy, or too weak, or too gimmicky, but I’m a convert after spending a week with the new $59.99 Kuxiu D5 Qi2.2 charging dock. Its active cooling system kept my phone from overheating, unlike every other Qi charger I’ve tried. Which is good, given my own history with the hottest phone.
Last year I fried the logic board in my titanium iPhone 15 Pro. I was on a hot streak and trying to edit a 4K video on my phone, which was charging from a Qi magnetically attached power bank. Wow, my iPhone is getting very hotI thought, just as the screen remained blank. The repair bill was €660.33 (over $750), for which I paid nothing just within the two-year warranty. Apple’s “brain” won’t tell if the phone is overheating, but I don’t want to tempt the conclusion twice.
Heat is the enemy of batteries
Heat is the enemy of batteries. High temperatures accelerate the chemical breakdown of lithium-ion cells, permanently reducing how much charge they can hold over time. The electromagnetic induction used by Qi chargers is inherently inefficient, generating more heat than transmitting electricity through a cable connected to your phone. That heat can cause phones to throttle wireless charging speeds to protect the battery.
Despite knowing this, I keep coming back to Qi charging docks and power banks because they are so convenient. I’m also addicted to Apple’s StandBy feature that turns my phone into a desk or bedside clock and widget when docked and charging in landscape mode.
Fortunately, companies like Anker, Aukey, ESR, and Kuxiu have begun building cooling systems that work directly into their Qi chargers. It features small heat sinks and ultra-quiet internal fans that blow heat away from the back of your phone while it charges. This keeps the battery much cooler and allows for faster charging speeds. Powerful magnets ensure perfect alignment between the phone’s receiver coil and the charger’s transmitter coil to increase efficiency and reduce heat loss.
The fan inside the Kuxiu D5 runs quietly, but can still be turned off if you want. The display is useful, but the small screensaver with the winky face is not. I like knowing the time and how much each device is drawing, in addition to the total amount of energy, but the animated movement is distracting when caught in the corner of my eye. It’s also too light for my taste when I’m sitting on my night stand. Fortunately, I can turn off the display with a tap of a button.
I like that the Kuxiu D5 ships with a 45W USB-C PD charger in the box. Otherwise, you’ll have to guess that whatever charger you have lying around will support the dock’s full output, which can deliver 25W to Qi2.2-compatible phones, 2.5W to Qi-compatible watches, and 5W to Qi-compatible earbuds. Compatible with several generations of phones, watches, and earbuds sold by Apple, Samsung, and others.
Kuxiu calls the D5 a “5-in-1” charger, which I find misleading since it will only charge three devices at once. It seems to combine the display and the fan for its price. On that count, I would be very happy if this was a 4-in-1 device, as the extra cost of the display won’t add much value to most people, and will only cause problems down the road.
The watch charger is also a fool’s errand in engineering. Long pressing one of the dock’s buttons kicks in a small motor to slowly push the watch’s dock to the side. I think it adds to the sturdiness of the dock when you’re on the go, but not much, and it can only be retracted when the dock is plugged into the wall.
1/7
Overall the Kuxiu D5 is a great Qi2.2 charging dock made better with effective cooling. It’s equally at home on a desktop or nightstand, and it’s priced less than similar docks from Anker, ESR, and others.
Active cooling on Qi chargers is a great idea whose time has come. Phones sold by Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo have supported wireless charging speeds of 50W and above for years. But that’s only possible if it’s placed in proprietary charging docks that can remove all the extra waste heat. Now the body responsible for Qi is working on a global standard of 50W to be released in 2028. Manufacturers will likely need to use active cooling to maintain those high charge rates.
Good for me. Whatever it takes to keep the vital Qi life force flowing.
All photos by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
