Review: Mophie Charge Stream Pad+
Apr 23, 2018, 12:30 PM by Eric M. Zeman
The Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ is a universal wireless charger that accommodates iPhones and Galaxies alike. This slim, disk-shaped charger works with most phones and offers rapid power-ups. If you're looking for a single charging pad that does it all, this could be it.
Wireless charging has come a long way in the last few years. Most phones have begun to adopt the Qi wireless charging standard, which means consumers shouldn't have to worry about which phones work with which wireless charging pads. In other words, if your family uses a mix of phones from Apple, Samsung, LG and others, you'll be in good shape with today's newest chargers.
The Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ is the company's first universal wireless charging pad and it delivers a quick battery boost without the fuss of wires.
Hardware
The Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ is a hockey puck. It's a slim, rubber-coated disk that has a minimal footprint. The pad measures 3.8 inches across, and is 0.45 inches (11mm) thick. It's black and far smaller than Samsung's wireless charging pad. The Mophie is small and light enough that it travels with you easily in a bag.
Puck
The rubber material is grippy on both the bottom and the top. This means the Mophie won't slide around on your desk or counter, and your phone won't slide off the charger. I like this. The rubber material also means you can put a glass-backed phone on the Mophie and not worry about scratching it.
Front
The pad has a microUSB port buried in the side edge. The included cable fits in easily and is held in place securely. Sadly, you have to use Mophie's cable, as the channel that accepts it doesn't accommodate any old microUSB cable. The cable has a larger, standard USB connector at the the other end so it can be plugged into any USB power source. One is included with the pad.
USB Channel
The Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ is simple, straightforward, and the most portable wireless charger I've encountered.
Bottom
Performance
The wireless charging pad supports the Qi standard. This makes it compatible with most of today's higher-end phones, including the iPhone 8 and X, recent Samsung Galaxy S phones, and LG's G6 and V30. The pad also works with all of Mophie's own Charge Force and Juice Pack battery cases made for Apple and Samsung smartphones.
Charging
Mophie says the Charge Stream Pad+ has smart charging circuitry. It begins charging immediately. The pad "talks" to each device placed on it to deliver the proper charge. It includes foreign object detection, which means it won't send power to incompatible devices or energize a paper clip. The pad employs low standby current to keep power draw at a minimum when it is not being used. It also has fail-safe circuitry to prevent overcharging, and temperature control to prevent overheating. It supports Quick Charge 2.0 at 7.5 watts.
With LG V30
I tested the Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ with a variety of phones and it worked flawlessly. You don't have to align the phone with magnets; simply drop it on the pad and let it start charging. The iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note8 and S9+, LG V30, and other phones all began charging immediately when placed on the pad. Mophie says the Charge Stream Pad+ is optimized for the iPhone X and it shows. The iPhone charged more rapidly than any of the Android devices I tested, though the smaller battery of the iPhone X surely helped.
With iPhone X
As for charging times, Mophie makes no claims about speed. In my experience with the charger, it re-charged an iPhone X from 50% to 100% is about an hour, which is faster than a standard iPhone charger. The Galaxy S9+ charged quickest on the Samsung wireless charger, but only by a few moments. It pushed from 50% to 100% on the Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ in about 45 minutes. The S9+ charges most quickly with a regular Samsung charger, but the difference isn't egregious. The V30 charged at about the same rate on the Mophie when compared to the Samsung wireless charger.
iPhone X Fit
In all cases, even 30 minutes on the Mophie was enough to provide hours of additional power.
You can leave the case on your phone. I tested the iPhone X, Note8, and S9+ with cases and the Charge Stream Pad+ had no trouble passing current through slim cases to charge the phones.
V30 Fit
Your phone remains fully functional while charging. You can answer calls, check your email, and even listen to music via Bluetooth all without interrupting the charge.
Discussion
The Mophie Charge Stream Pad+ is the best wireless charging pad I've used. I really like Samsung's offering, but the smaller size and portability of the Charge Stream Pad+ give it a serious edge over the competition. The fact that it works so well with such a wide variety of phones, case or no case, is the icing on the cake.
The pad costs $60. It's not the cheapest option in the market, but I think it's well worth the money. It's available at Best Buy, AT&T, and Verizon stores.
Profile
Our Ratings
About the author, Eric M. Zeman:Eric has been covering the mobile telecommunications industry for 17 years at various print and online publications. He studied at Rutgers Newark and University of Kentucky, and has a degree in writing. He likes playing guitar, attending concerts, listening to music, and driving sports cars.
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