Nillkin Wireless Charging Receiver: First Thoughts

My daily driver already supports wireless charging, but my old backup phone, the OnePlus 5, still charges the old-fashioned way.

In other words, it doesn’t support wireless charging, which just feels wrong.

By chance I spotted this thing on eBay:

So what is it? Basically a sticker you slap on the back of your phone to turn it into a wireless-charging capable device.

Put simply, it’s a wireless charging coil that you stick on the back to enable wireless charging.

There are plenty of these coils on the market, but the one with the best reputation is probably Nillkin’s, and it’s not expensive either, so I bought one to try.

Nillkin officially claims this sticker supports not only magnetic attachment but also stable 5V 1A wireless charging… which is just 5W wireless charging, plainly put.

That may not match Samsung and Apple’s 7.5W or 10W, or even Huawei’s 20W, but remember my Pixel 3 XL only does 5W wireless charging on non-official chargers anyway. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

After installing the sticker, Nillkin says you can use your own case, but that’s obviously nonsense — you need a case from Nillkin’s own lineup, with a slot in the back specifically for this not-exactly-thin sticker.

Once it’s in, it feels fine in the hand, though it’s definitely thicker. Then again, it’s not too thick — about the same as a Pixel 3 XL in a case, and side by side they actually look pretty harmonious.

As for charging, 5W is decent enough… after all, the OnePlus 5 is my backup phone, so I only charge it once every two days.

Aside from that gaming phone I’ve got, I think I’ve basically got wireless charging covered now.