Samsung's Galaxy S4 is one of the most impressive smartphones on the market, but one feature missing from its arsenal is native wireless charging. The company is now selling an accessory that adds this capability, though you'll pay plenty for the privilege.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 S Charger Pad and S Charger Cover are two seperate products. The former is a charging pad that uses the Qi wireless charging standard, while the latter is a replacement back cover for the phone that includes the required induction coils to charge.
At $74.95 for the S Charger Pad and $44.95 for the S Charger Cover, Samsung's accessory certainly doesn't come cheap. While the cost of the charging pad itself is comparable to many similar devices on the market, $44.95 for a plastic back cover seems pretty excessive, even if the end result of wireless charging is convenient.
Using the S Charger Pad and S Charger Cover is very straightforward. Replace the existing cover on your Galaxy S4 with the charger cover, then plug the charger pad into a power point using your existing Galaxy S4 AC adapter and micro-USB cable. Annoyingly, the S Charger Pad doesn't come with its own power supply. That's a bitter pill to swallow given its high price.
Once you place the Galaxy S4 on the charging pad, a message will pop up on the screen saying that the phone is charging wirelessly. An LED at the top of the charging pad will also illuminate.
The S Charger Cover adds extra thickness and weight to the Galaxy S4. You'll immediately notice its a few extra millimetres thicker on the back, and also slightly heavier. On our test scales, the standard Galaxy S4 weighs 130g, but the S4 fitted with the S Charger Cover tipped the scales at 148g.
More of a downside is the fact that the S Charger Cover's extra few mm's on the back means you won't be able to use the Galaxy S4 with a form fitting case. Our Spigen Neo Hybrid case just squeezed on, but the bulge in the back caused some issues with the power and volume buttons.
On the upside, the shape of the S Charger Cover gives the Galaxy S4 more rounded edges. In our experience, this makes the phone a little more comfortable to hold and grip.
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