Philips Car Wireless Charging Mount

A while back I modded my OnePlus 5 for wireless charging, so this time I went ahead and did the in-car setup to match.

Right now the only trustworthy car wireless charger you can actually buy online is Philips. I know Philips is a company that slaps its name on just about anything, but they seem to have done this one properly.

It works like any other car mount: suction cup base, and a locking collar so it stays put. The phone-holding part is where the trick is — an infrared sensor detects a phone coming close and automatically opens the clamps, then closes them again once the phone is seated. Feels pretty fancy.

If you want to take the phone off, there’s a touch area on the side — one tap and it opens.

First time I put the phone on, no wireless charging. Took reading the manual to understand that wireless charging needs its own USB cable plugged in, while the infrared sensor switch apparently runs off an internal battery. The giveaway is the lights in the top-right and bottom-right corners.

Also worth mentioning: the first time I stuck the phone on, charging didn’t work. Spent ages on it before realizing there’s a dial on the back that adjusts the phone’s vertical position — only once it’s lined up does wireless charging kick in.

Bottom line, this thing is well worth buying. It’s cheap, it charges wirelessly, and it theoretically supports 10W fast charging. In practice 5W isn’t slow either — good enough, honestly. The one downside: when you start the car, the mount occasionally opens and closes by itself (that infrared control again). Something to keep an eye on.