First Impressions and Design
Satechi is known for their sleek, subtle, minimalist designed productivity devices and that’s exactly what you get with their new product, Duo Wireless Charger Power Stand. At first glance I noticed Satechi’s gray color closely resembles Apple’s ‘Space Gray’ color. This wireless charger fits perfectly alongside my desk’s Space Gray/Black assorted palette of the 2021 Macbook Pro, iPhone 14 Pro and 2020 iPad Pro. From the unboxing, it was apparent who Satechi’s target market was, Apple fans.
The wireless charging stand has a hinge design that allows you to wirelessly charge your phone and underneath charge your favorite pair of wireless earbuds (which for me continue to be the Apple AirPods Pro 2). Speaking of hinges, there’s nothing worse than a cheap hinge that feels like if you’re not careful you’ll break it. Clearly, Satechi felt the same way when designing this product because the hinge on this stand is solid. It’s fully adjustable and goes up to about 75 degrees. I never felt that the hinge wasn’t strong enough to hold my phone and encounter frequent use. In fact, it reminded me of the premium hinge quality of my 2021 Macbook Pro.
The design and materials of this wireless charger stand are high-quality and placed with intention. The device features a singular power button as well as LED battery indicators. The charging surfaces feature a rubberized matte finish which indicate the charging locations and ensure your device does not slip off those chargers. The rest of the product is plated with a cohesive matte-aluminum design. Just like the hinge, this felt very similar to a product I use everyday, my 2021 Macbook Pro. In fact when you turn the product over, there is engraved product information as well as black rubber feet in each corner, look familiar?
Specs and Functionality
The Duo Wireless Charger offers a 10,000 mAh battery which supports up to a total of 10W simultaneously when wireless charging your phone and AirPods. The phone Qi charger is 10W, however iPhones only allow 7.5W Qi charging. The secondary Qi AirPods charger is 5W. If you’re charging your devices overnight, you shouldn’t have to worry about the wattage and power output. However, you will notice those slower speeds when you’re looking for that quick boost during the day. For the fastest charge, a USB C port is featured on the back of the device. It supports 18W fast charging via USB C cable. In other words, plug in the same USB-C to Lightning cable you use to charge your Apple iPhone and you will get close to those same charge speeds you’d get if you plugged that cable into your 20W fast charging brick. For a ballpark benchmark, when I tested I saw 5% increase in charge after 8 minutes.
One drawback to the technical features of this charger is the lack of Apple Magsafe charging. Satechi’s Duo Wireless Charger is not Apple Magsafe certified. When there’s dozens of third party accessories out there, official licensing is what helps move products from good to great. With that said, the product size measuring in around 3” x 5” x 1” is a bit too large for Magsafe attachment. However, while the device is big it’s not too large to squeeze into your pants pocket or throw in your bag for your next trip. Lastly, the wireless charging stand features Foreign Object Detection (FOD). FOD ensures your device will not receive more power than needed, avoiding overheating. As someone who is skeptical to trust non-licensed battery products, FOD is a must.
Final Thoughts
As an admitted Apple fanboy, it’s obvious Satechi made this charger for those of us tangled in the Apple Ecosystem. Satechi focused on consumer preference with this product and modeled aesthetic and design choices after products already on people’s desks. While the attention to detail with this wireless charging stand is admirable, the lack of Apple Watch charging (a notable feature of one of it’s predecessor, Satechi Quattro) as well as Apple Magsafe compatibility left a bit to be desired. All this considered particularly given the product’s $99 price point. Anyone looking for a versatile, portable product to minimize cables and clean up their desk or nightstand will love the design and ease of the Duo Wireless Charger Power Stand.
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