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Native Union Dock Wireless Charger review: A fashionable option
Style matters to some people. That means the utilitarian design of some accessories simply won’t cut it for everyone. Enter the Native Union Dock Wireless Charger, which throws a bit of personality into the wireless charging market.
Native Union Dock Wireless Charger: What is it?
The Native Union Dock Wireless Charger makes quite a statement. It doesn’t simply disappear or blend in with your home decor. The Dock Wireless Charger is a large wireless charging stand that offers a modern take on the popular accessory.
When you first open the box, you’re greeted by a large disc that’s laying flat. Our review unit is covered in grey fabric, but several options are available, including pink fabric and blended leathers. A steel plate is tucked under the disk. It’s heavy. You need to slide the plate through a slot in the disc to create the standing Native Union Dock Wireless Charger. Pick a spot and stand it in place. Rubber feet on the bottom edge of the disk and the metal plate ensure the stand won’t slide around on flat surfaces. It’s large and won’t necessarily fit everywhere, such as a small bedside table.
The steel plate adds weight and stability and also provides the ledge on which you place your phone. Native Union said it created the perfect angle for your phone to stand. I don’t know about perfect, but I do like the angle. It’s better than the too-leaned-back angle of the Samsung Wireless Charger Stand, that’s for sure. Dual coils mean you can stand your phone upright or sit it on its side and it will charge either way. A light signals you as to the status of your charge.
See also: The best wireless chargers
Native Union included a 6.5-foot braided USB-C-to-USB-A cable but did not include a charging brick. The company recommends you use the charger that came with your phone.
How does it perform?
The Native Union Dock Wireless Charger is limited to 10W charging. The company says it has a special thermal shield to ensure both the charger and the phone are protected. There’s no fan or other cooling tech on board. It also boasts foreign object detection, which means random metal things won’t activate the charger. The 10W charging speed applies only to Android phones that support it. The Apple iPhone is only able to charge at a maximum of 7.5W.
In our tests, it took quite a bit longer for the Native Union wireless charger to power up our phones than it did the Samsung Wireless Charger Stand, which supports faster 15W charging. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus reached 12% in 15 minutes, 26% in 30 minutes, 56% in 60 minutes, and 100% in just under two hours. The iPhone 11 Max Pro was slower due to the 7.5W limitation, with a 50% charge taking nearly 90 minutes and a full charge taking 2.5 hours.
Native Union Dock Wireless Charger review: Should you buy it?
Native Union designed a great-looking, if slightly oversized, wireless charger for smartphones. It’s more visually appealing to me than Samsung’s charger, but that’s offset by the size. More to the point, the Native Union charges at a slower rate. It also costs $10 more than the Samsung at $69.99. The only real advantage the Native Union has over the Samsung charger is that its standing angle is much more tolerable.
These performance metrics, however, won’t be enough to dissuade those who prefer style over substance. The Native Union charger is more to look at than most competitors. For the modern home, perhaps it’s worth paying a little extra for the edgier design.