Olin Wireless Charger for iPhone

Wireless chargers have been talked about for years on end but it's only now that we're beginning to see them hit the market. Olin's Wireless Charger for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is one of the first. Unfortunately, a few critical flaws meant it fell short of our expectations.

The Olin Wireless Charger for iPhone consists of a small charging pad and a specially designed case. Users simply attach the case to their iPhone and plug the charging pad into a power point. You then place the iPhone on the mat and it wirelessly charges. Olin claims the wireless charger has over- and under-voltage protection, short-circuit protection and overcharge protection.

The Olin Wireless Charger for iPhone sales package includes an iPhone case, and you can't purchase an extra one as a separate accessory. The case is chunkier than we'd like and its design isn't the most inspiring we've come across. A particular annoyance is the length it adds to the bottom of your iPhone — not only does this make the phone bigger than it should be, it also affects the volume of the iPhone's speakers. The case also blocks access to the dock connector, so you can't synchronise your iPhone with your PC or Mac while the case is attached.

The charging pad itself works as described, but it's only large enough to hold a single iPhone. A small blue LED on the front lights up when charging is taking place and the unit omits an annoying ticking sound. It's not loud, but in a quiet office environment it was instantly noticeable. The included case also gets quite hot while charging.

The Olin Wireless Charger for iPhone doesn't come cheap. While we like the idea of wireless charging, this product's flaws make it easy to overlook.

Olin also sells a similar charger for the Nintendo DS Lite, distributed in Australia by Westwell.

Stay up to date with the latest reviews. Sign up to GoodGearGuide’s Gear Daily newsletters

Follow GoodGearGuide on Twitter: @Goodgearguide