When it comes to charging, you can always do it the old fashion way and plug in a charging cable. However, that can be a pain sometimes if you’re stumbling home late one night and just don’t have the focus to find your cable or you just plain forget. That’s why something like a wireless charging stand or pad is such a convenience. With these, you can just place your phone down on them and they automatically start charging. No need to mess with cables at all. The iOttie iON Wireless Duo is just such a solution for your bedside and is capable of charging two devices simultaneously at 15W and 5W.
DESIGN
For starters, iOttie usually has some pretty nicely designed charging pads. I had a chance to check out the iON Wireless Mini a few years back and it was a very modern-looking charging pad. The iON Wireless Duo is no different. The stand portion sits at a 65-degree angle and is covered in very appealing looking fabric. The stand can accommodate a phone in either landscape or portrait mode.
Next to the stand is an integrated charging pad that is meant to be used with any Qi-certified wireless charging capable accessory, like a smartwatch or earphones. That means Apple Watch, Google Pixel Buds, etc. It can even charge another phone, but at 5W, it’ll be charging pretty slowly.
There are LED indicators on both the stand and charging pad to let you know when either is charging. The bottom of the dock has rubber feet to keep it from sliding around your table and the charging port is on the back. You’ll have to use the included charging cable as it is a DC input.
The color I received here for testing is a dark grey which is made for Google devices. The Navy and Light Grey variant is for Apple devices.
EXPERIENCE
Setup is incredibly simple. Basically, just plug in the one power cable and place the iOttie iON Wireless Duo on your table and you are all done. If your smartphone supports wireless charging, it’ll work on this by just placing it on the charging stand. The stand portion is a 2 coil, 15W unit so on some devices, it’ll fast charge. I’m using it with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and 15W isn’t really enough to fast-charge. That’s okay because I usually only charge my phone at night while I’m sleeping and I do not need it to fast charge. In fact, I prefer that it slow charges while I sleep.
UPDATE: I should clarify my “fast-charge” statement a little. The 15W is enough for fast-wireless charging which is not the same as fast-charging with a cable. Fast-wireless charging is faster than with the 5W charging but slower than 18W cabled fast-charging.
I do like using the stand since at night, if you use the Always-on Display mode, you’ll be able to easily glance at the time or any important notifications.
The charging pad I tried on a watch I had, but it doesn’t seem to charge correctly, mainly because I think it requires more power. 5W just doesn’t seem to be enough for it. It does however charge some earbuds I had that charge via a wireless charging case.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The iOttie iON Wireless Duo is the perfect bedside accessory. The stand makes it so that your smartphone can become your nighttime clock and I appreciate the ability to charge a second device. Of course this is only useful if you have accessories that can also be wirelessly charged. I don’t mind that it doesn’t fast charge my exact phone, but it may on yours. You’ll need to check the specs on your phone.
Is there anything I don’t like about it? Not really. It’s a very attractive-looking wireless charger that would compliment any modern design theme you got going on in your home.
So with that said, you can’t go wrong with the iOttie iON Wireless Duo. You’ll love the dual charging and love the fact that you’ll no longer need to go searching for a cable again to charge.
The iOttie iON Wireless Duo is available now on Amazon.
