In a world where cables are no longer needed, wireless charging is enjoying increasing popularity and technological development. Manufacturers like Oppo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi have taken wireless charging speeds to a new level with 30W and even 50W chargers to keep up with the ever-growing wired charging.
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However, one of the less convenient aspects of using a wireless charging pad or stand is aligning the coil in the device with the coil in the charger. Often times, chargers don’t have obvious markings that show where the coils are, so you’ll have to fumble around to charge your phone. In the worst case scenario, you never notice the device is misaligned and you end up with a dead battery a few hours later.
Enter the Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charger. Inventive name, I know.
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Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Charging Pad
Bigger is always better, at least when it comes to wireless chargers. You can set up up to two devices on the charging pad. Each device is located and charged at a rate of up to 20 W.
What is the Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charger?
This is Xiaomi’s 20W charging cabin with a twist. Instead of having to figure out where the coil is, the coil in this pad will move to wherever you place your Qi-compatible device. The product is designed to take the guesswork out of wireless charging.
The goal is to take the guesswork out of wireless charging.
The Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking wireless charger has a white color, a wedge design and silver inserts on the front and back. Xiaomi has coated the outer shell with a rubberized plastic. There are four small rubber feet on the bottom that prevent the wireless charger from sliding around. The exclusive external function is the USB-C port on the rear left. Here you can connect the device to the wall with the supplied cable and brick.
The large footprint of the charger allows large and small smartphones to fit and work with the motorized coil. However, you can charge almost any other compatible product with it.
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How does it work?
When you place your Qi-equipped device on the pad, magnets find your device’s charging coil, and motors move the pad’s coil to that location. The active area is slightly smaller than the pad itself. The plastic sleeve shows you this when you first open the box.
The charging coil aligns itself automatically with the device.
As the motors move the coil towards your device, a green spherical light moves with it to indicate the position of the coil. The sound of the motors can be heard but not overwhelming. There is approximately a three second delay between placing the device on the pad and moving the coil.
Once your device is charged, the coil will move back to the top right corner. During the charging process, the Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking wireless charger remains cool and inaudible. What would have been useful is a light on the front to show the charge status of the device placed on it, or better yet, a display.
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What is good?
It’s pretty convenient not to have to worry about finding the right place for wireless charging. Wireless chargers are usually quite fussy and get annoying when you’re in a hurry. The Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charging Pad allows you to place your device almost anywhere on the pad and let the charger do the work.
It’s also handy that when you put two devices on the charger, the coil moves from the first to the second as soon as the first device reaches 100%. This means you could leave your phone and headphones on the charger overnight and the charger would charge both in the morning.
What is bad?
Since the wireless charging pad is 20W, you are limited to this speed when charging wirelessly. That’s all right until you consider that Xiaomi helped unveil its Mi 10 Ultra 50W Support for wireless charging the same week the tracking charger was launched. This would significantly affect the loading speed.
It has a pretty large footprint considering it only charges one device at a time.
The pad also takes up a lot of space for a wireless charger that only charges one device at a time. We measure it at 18 x 19 x 1 cm, or roughly two Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Of course, it has to be big enough to accommodate devices of different sizes, but it still takes up space on a small bedside table or desk.
After all, it doesn’t seem to work very well on cases. If you use an ultra-thin case, it will work just fine. However, if you’re using a full-size or chunky case, you may need to remove it before plugging your device into the charger. This can add an extra step and inconvenience to a product designed to combat just that.
Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Wireless Charging Pad: Should You Buy It?
If you’re looking to spend $ 100 on a single device wireless charger, the Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Charging Pad is a great option. It does what it says it is – makes wireless charging the guesswork.
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At the moment, it is quite difficult to get hold of Xiaomi’s smart charger. You can buy it on Giztop for just under $ 100, but it’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s just beginning, however, and Xiaomi will likely start selling the charger on their webshop. For $ 100, there are plenty of great alternative wireless chargers available from Nomad and Native Union. Some are faster, some have multiple coils, and some do both.
$ 99 .99
Xiaomi Mi 20W Smart Tracking Charging Pad
Buy It Now
$ 99 .99
Ultimately, the Xiaomi Tracking Charger is a niche product for those who have extra cash and are burning a hole in their pocket. For $ 100, you are paying for the sensor and motion technology in this charger, not the performance or versatility. It’s the most convenient charger, but not necessarily the best.