(Last Updated On: April 17, 2019)

Even though wireless charging has grown exponentially over the last few years, and even more because of the release of the iPhone X, and iPhone 8. It’s still not nearly as useful as wired charging.

That said, wireless charging power can change depending on what wireless charger you’re using and also what phone you have.

In this review, we’re going to be taking a look at a Xiaomi wireless charging pad. What makes this wireless charger different from others is that it’s actually able to supply 20W of charging power. This is quite a lot higher than most other “Fast Wireless Chargers” on the market.

Power

Output Charging:

In terms of fast charging for this Xiaomi wireless charger, well, it’s going to depend on what device you own.

Xiaomi claims that this charger can fast wirelessly charge Samsung smartphones, however, our tests show otherwise.

We used a RAVPower wall charger with an 18W USB-C Power Delivery port to power the charger. Then we placed a Samsung Galaxy S8 on top of the charger, and it only did standard wireless charging. Not “Fast Wireless Charging”

The same is true for iPhone XS, as Qi-compatible smartphones will only receive regular wireless charging, too.

As for Xiaomi smartphones? Well, Xiaomi states that this wireless charger can provide fast wireless charging speed for the Xiaomi Mi 9, Mix 2S, and Mix 3. That’s where the use of its 20W wireless charging rate can come into play.

So for charging Qi-compatible smartphones in general, this wireless charger is useful, as it’ll charge them, but at the standard wireless charging speed. If you have a Xiaomi smartphone that is capable of Fast wireless charging using this wireless charger, then it’s 20W output is going to be the most useful to you.

Input Power:

The good news about this wireless charger is that it makes use of a USB-C port, as it’s the new standard that’s being used with basically all new Andriod smartphones and other portable devices such as laptops and tablets, too.

However, when it comes to actually power this charger, it’s somewhat strange. We tried using a standard USB-A port with a 5V/2.4A output, and the wireless charger did not power on. Then we tried a Quick Charge port, and the wireless charger still did not receive power.

Lastly, we tried an 18W USB-C Power Delivery port with a USB-C to USB-C cable, and finally, that enabled the wireless charger to provide charging to an S8.

So it seems that you have to use a USB-C Power Delivery port to power and charge from this Xiaomi wireless charging pad.

Design

Size and Weight:

Just like any other wireless charger, the size of this one is small and won’t be getting in the way of anything no matter where you put it.

The charger has a length/width of 3.9 inches, and a thickness of 0.7 inches. The weight of the charger is 3.5 ounces.

Functional Components:

When it comes to actually use the wireless charger, the one flaw that can be felt with nearly all single coil wireless charging pads is having to place your smartphone exactly in the center of the charger for it to actually charge.

At the side, there’s a single LED light that shows turns Green when you’re charging a smartphone and it turns Blue once the smartphone that you’re charging is fully charged.

Build

Structure and Material:

The build quality of the charger is great. It’s solid with no loose parts, at the top and bottom of the charger there are rubber pads that keep the smartphone and the wireless charger itself from sliding around.

Tech:

On the tech side, there are vents at the bottom of the charger, and there’s also a fan within the charger that you can hear when you first place a smartphone on the charger to actually charge.

The charger does still experience a little overheating during charging, though.

Reliability

If you’re searching for a fast wireless charging pad that can fast charge your Qi-compatible iPhone or Samsung smartphone, then this charger is not it.

It can still, however, fast charge compatible fast charging Xiaomi smartphones at a 20W fast charging speed, which is a lot faster than what most smartphones are able to charge it wirelessly.

Summary:

Power:

Charging power from this Xiaomi wireless charger is quite mediocre for Samsung smartphones and iPhones, as they won’t fast charge wirelessly.

Design:

The size of this charger is very small, however, the small size of the charger and its use of a single coil means that you have to place your smartphone exactly in the center of the charger for it to charge.

Build:

The build quality of the charger is great on the structure side, and also on the tech side, too. As it makes use of vents, and a fan, too.

Reliability:

“Fast Wireless charging” from this charger is not really compatible for iPhone or Samsung phones, despite powering this wireless charger with a USB-C Power Delivery port. You’ll have better luck if you have a Qi-compatible Xiaomi smartphone, though.

Specs of the Xiaomi 20W Fast Wireless Charger Pad:

• Output:

Standard Wireless Charging Pad: 5W

Fast Wireless Charging: 20W for Xiaomi smartphones

• Input: Power Delivery wall charger of 18W or higher
• LED Power Indicator: Single Blue Power indicator
• Size: 3.9 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 5.2 Ounces

Conclusion:

Xiaomi is a flagship leading company on the other side of the world, and it truly shows as they’ve actually developed a 20W wireless charging pad.

However, it’s not so reliable if you have a Samsung or iPhone that are wireless charging compatible as they will only charge at a 5W charging speed.

Not Fast wireless charging, which is what we expected from this charger, to begin with.