AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger

As wireless charging continues to grow in popularity, users are looking for more ways to integrate wireless chargers into their daily routine.  The folks at Aukey have introduced some new wireless charges that are sure to meet your needs.

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AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger – Unboxing

The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger (Model # LC-Q11) is a single coil wireless charger.  The round rubber charging surface sits on top of a gray zinc alloy base that is a very close color match to our Space Gray MacBook Pro.  There is another rubber pad on the bottom of the base to prevent sliding as well as to protect the surface it is resting on.

In the box is the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger, a USB-A to USB-C power cord, a multi-language User Manual and the AUKEY 24-month warranty card.

The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger supports Qi, Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0.  The charger measures 4.25” (108mm) in diameter and 0.75” (19mm) high.  It weighs 5.4oz (154g).

The included charging cable measures 3.9” (1.2m) so there should be no issue connecting to a desktop, or other nearby power source.

The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger accepts the following power input and output.

On the front edge of the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger is a single LED to provide the status of the charger as follows.

AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger – Special Features

There are two features in the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger that we have not seen before.

First is a built-in ambient light.  When active, the light gives off a soft green glow around the bottom of the charger base.  The photo below show the actual ambient light.

The light is certainly not offensive or overpowering and almost makes it look like the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger is hovering over the desk surface.  If used in a bedroom, this would also make a nice nightlight if needed.

The light is controlled by a button on the bottom of the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger and a single press turns the light on or off.

The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger also has an internal fan to assist in cooling of both the charger and the device being charged.  Like the ambient light, there is a slide switch on the bottom of the charger to turn the fan off and on. But unlike the light, the fan only operates when a device is placed on the charging pad.

AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger – Test Results

The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger worked as expected with one small exception.  One of our iPhone XS had a clear protective case with a small lip on the back edge. We have been able to wireless charge that phone, with the case on, using a variety of wireless chargers, including the Aukey Graphite Lite Q 10W Wireless Fast Charger ( read our review here).  AUKEY says the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger will charge a phone with a case as long as the case is less than or equal to 3mm.

For some reason, the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger would not charge our phone with the case on.  It recognized that we placed a device on the charging pad but the LED flashed red and green, indicating an Overcurrent cutoff.  Removing the case let us charge the phone without issue.

We tried the same phone with a different case, that did not have the extra lip, and the charger worked perfectly.  We concluded that the issue is with the case, rather than the charger.

The fan inside the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger was so quiet, we almost wondered if it was working but after charging our phone, the back edge was cool as was the charger itself.  This is a nice feature that we would like to see adopted on a larger scale.

The ambient light was a bit confusing to us.  The first few times we turned it off, it turned on by itself as soon as we placed a device on the charging pad. Then, when we turned it off and placed a device on the charging pad, it stayed off until we removed the device at which point it turned back on.  Finally, after several attempts, we turned it off and it stayed off, until we manually turned it back on, which is the functionality we were trying to achieve.

We’re not sure what caused these different operating conditions but it appears to have been a temporary issue and the charger is now working as expected.

AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger – Power Requirements

For our testing, we connected the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger to a standard Apple iPhone power brick, as well as the USB-C port on our MacBook Pro with no issue for either power source.

In order to support fast charging, you will need a more powerful power source.  You should take a look at the AUKEY Minima 18W PD Charger (Model # PA-Y18).

At just 1.4” long x 1.2” wide and 1.4” high (36mm x 32mm x 36mm), it is not much bigger than the standard Apple iPhone charger but provides enough power to charge an iPhone 11 from 0% to 65% in just 30-minutes.

The AUKEY Minima 18W PD Charger is available in black or white and is available on the AUKEY web site.

We should also point out that as noted above, that the cable included with the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger is USB-A to USB-C.  The AUKEY Minima 18W PD Charger has a USB-C connection so you will need a different cable, like the AUKEY USB-C to C cable.  At 6.6ft (2m), it makes it even easier to connect to a power source even when not close by.

The Bottom Line

With its modern design, built-in ambient light and fan, the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger is right at home, whether in the home or office. The alloy base was sturdy, without being overbearing to the design.  We also liked the built-in fan which kept both the charger and our iPhone XS cool during the charging process.

Unlike other wireless chargers we have tested, the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger did not charge one of our phones with a particular case on, but did charge others so we concluded the issue was with the case rather than the charger.  AUKEY is clear that a case must be less than or equal to 3mm for the wireless charger to work.

The operation of the ambient light was confusing but in the end, worked as expected so again, we don’t think there is an issue with the charger.

In the end, we were impressed with the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger and think it is a great choice for anyone looking for a stylist wireless charger that supports Qi, Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0. The AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger is available on the AUKEY web site.

We would like to thank the folks at AUKEY for providing the AUKEY Graphite Podium Wireless Fast Charger for our testing and review.

Are you a fan of wireless charging?  What is your favorite charger? Why not join the conversation and leave a comment below.

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