Apple has yet to embrace the wireless charging movement, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find wireless charging solutions for your iPhone. We have found cases, sleeves, and accessories that will allow you to make the nightly fumble to plug in your phone a thing of the past. Although the Qi standard is currently leading the consumer market — it’s the fundamental technology powering most wireless charging pads and docks — we’ve haven’t limited our selection to just one standard. We also found a case that supports PMA, and a proprietary magnetic charging solution. Just keep in mind that wireless charging is slower than the traditional cable method.
Aircharge Wireless Charging Case ($54)
This case will make your iPhone 6 or 6S compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard. It’s a smart design with a hard white panel on the back with the Qi receiver, and a rounded, malleable black bumper that will protect your iPhone from bumps and drops. There’s a very large cut-out on the back which showcases the Apple logo and the camera, which also makes it easy to slot your iPhone in. The problem with all these cases is that they have to plug into the Lightning port, which blocks the port and adds a bulky section at the bottom. There’s an audio jack extension included for this reason, but you’ll have to remove the case to get at the Lightning port. The Aircharge is still one of the slimmest and lightest wireless charging cases we’ve seen, and it’s also certified by Apple.
Dog & Bone Backbone Wireless Charging Case ($70)
Dog & Bone are known for their rugged and waterproof cases, so if you want something tough that also adds Qi wireless charging support, this is the one for you. It meets military standard 810F, so drops of up to 4 feet are no problem. It’s a rounded, chunky case with a tire tread texture on the back and a highlighted, slide-out section for charging that’s lined with blue, red, pink, or orange accents. It definitely adds some bulk, but all protective cases do. One thing we really like about this case is the inclusion of a Micro USB port, so if you ever do want to revert to wires, you don’t have to remove the case for charging. You get a charging pad in the pack, but you can also buy a separate 1,500 mAh battery for $60, which is interchangeable with the wireless charging section.
($100)
If battery life is a problem for you in general, then Incipio has you covered with the Ghost case. This is a 2,100mAh battery case that should deliver around 80 percent more battery life for an iPhone 6 or 6S. The Ghost also supports Qi wireless charging, so you can pop it on any Qi pad to get the juice flowing. There’s a power button on the back with four LEDs to indicate remaining battery life, and Incipio included a Micro USB port in case you want to charge it up the old-fashioned way. It is quite bulky, but the matte sections at the top and bottom feature a shiny, brushed metallic effect that adds some style and helps safeguard your iPhone from damage.
($19)
Maybe you’ve already got a case that you love, but you’d still like to add wireless charging. The iQi Mobile accessory could work for you. It’s a flat tag with a flexible wire and a plug that slots into your Lightning port. The idea is that you slip the Qi receiver tag part into your case, and then insert the plug into your iPhone port to enable wireless charging. It’s not going to work with every case, but it should work fine with slim, flexible cases. We’re also uncertain about its longevity given the plug and ribbon feel pretty flimsy, but as a stop-gap to test out wireless charging on your iPhone, it’s worth a go.
Tango Wireless Charging Sleeve ($30)
This is an interesting two-piece case that enables you to easily slide in your iPhone 6 or 6S. The case comes in plain black and touts cut-outs for the camera and all of your buttons. With the case on, your iPhone can be charged via any Qi pad, but Tango does also offer its own Charger Pad ($65), which also allows you to charge multiple devices at once. It can also charge your iPhone, no matter what angle you place it down at. The bottom section also includes a Micro USB port for charging with cables, along with an audio jack extension and grilles designed to redirect the speaker to the front. At the time of writing, the case and pad are available at a discount on Kickstarter, and the project has already surpassed its funding goal. It starts shipping in January 2016.
Bezalel Latitude Universal Charging Case ($50)
When Samsung adopted wireless charging in the latest Galaxy smartphones, it cut through the standard war by supporting both Qi and PMA standards, and that’s exactly what the Latitude case does for iPhone. Successfully funded on Kickstarter a couple of months ago, the Latitude case is fairly slim and curvy, comes in either black or white, and allows you to charge your iPhone using a Qi or PMA pad. It also leaves the bottom open, so there are no audio jack hassles, and you can easily slide the Lightning connector out, so you don’t need to remove the case if you decide that you want to charge or sync using your old Lightning cable. You can pre-order the device now, however, it likely won’t ship until February or March.
($40)
Our final option has been around for a while and it makes wirelessly charging your iPhone easy, mostly because it employs a magnetic system. The big drawback is the fact that the technology is proprietary, meaning you can’t use it with other Qi or PMA pads and you’ll have to buy Patriot’s base ($20) or pad ($25). The case is fairly slim, with cut-outs for the camera and buttons. The bottom section is bulky and features a slide in section for the Lightning port, but there is also an audio jack extension and a Micro USB port for charging. Because it’s magnetic, it’s easy to place your iPhone securely on the pad or dock.
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