{"id":3223,"date":"2026-07-04T07:08:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T07:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2026-07-04T07:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T07:08:34","slug":"qi-active-cooling-really-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3223","title":{"rendered":"Qi fan fan | The Verge"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Despite my initial skepticism, I\u2019m now sold on wireless Qi chargers that add integrated fans to keep your phone cool while charging. I figured they\u2019d be too loud, or too weak, or too gimmicky, but I\u2019m a convert after spending a week with the new $59.99 Kuxiu D5<\/a> Qi2.2 charging dock. Its active cooling system has kept my phone from heating up, unlike every other Qi charger I\u2019ve tried. Good thing, given my own history with an overheating phone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Last year I fried the logic board on my titanium iPhone 15 Pro. I was on a sweltering train and trying to edit a 4K video on my phone, which was charging from a magnetically attached Qi power bank<\/a>. Oof, my iPhone is getting really hot<\/em>, I thought, just as the screen went forever blank. The repair bill was \u20ac660.33 (over $750), for which I paid nothing because it was just<\/em> inside the two-year warranty. Apple\u2019s \u201cgenius\u201d wouldn\u2019t say if the phone overheated, but I\u2019m not keen to tempt fate twice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Heat is the enemy of batteries<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Heat is the enemy of batteries. High temperatures accelerate the chemical degradation of lithium-ion cells, permanently reducing how much charge they can hold over time. The electromagnetic induction employed by Qi chargers is inherently inefficient, producing far more heat than transferring electricity through a cable plugged into your phone. That heat can cause phones to throttle the wireless charging speed in order to protect the battery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Despite knowing this, I keep coming back to Qi charging docks and power banks because they\u2019re so damn convenient. I\u2019m also addicted to Apple\u2019s StandBy feature that turns my phone into a desk or bedside clock and widget machine when docked and charging in landscape orientation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Fortunately, companies like Anker, Aukey, ESR, and Kuxiu have started building active cooling systems directly into their Qi chargers. They feature tiny heat sinks and ultra-quiet internal fans that actively blow the heat away from the back of your phone while it charges. This keeps the battery significantly cooler and allows for faster charging speeds. Powerful magnets ensure perfect alignment between the phone\u2019s receiver coil and the charger\u2019s transmitter coil to maximize efficiency and minimize heat waste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The display on the D5 shows the charging status of up to three devices, and whether the active cooling is enabled.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A look from behind at the cooling fan beneath the Qi2.2 phone charger.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This button lets you switch off the display, switch off active cooling, and retract the watch charger.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The 45W GAN charger is a great in-the-box addition for such an inexpensive Qi2.2 charging dock. Here the watch charger is shown recessed.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The fan inside the Kuxiu D5 operates silently, but it can still be turned off if you want. The display is useful, but the little winky-faced screensaver is not. I do like knowing the time and how much charge each device is pulling, in addition to the total power draw, but the animated movement is distracting when caught out of the corner of my eye. Fortunately, I can turn the display off with a tap of a button.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I like that the Kuxiu D5 ships with a 45W USB-C PD charger in the box. Otherwise, you\u2019d have to guess if whatever charger you have lying around will support the dock\u2019s max total output, which can deliver up to 25W to Qi2.2-compatible phones, 2.5W to Qi-compatible watches, and 5W to Qi-compatible earbuds. It\u2019s compatible with several generations of phones, watches, and earbuds sold by Apple, Samsung, and others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Kuxiu calls the D5 a \u201c5-in-1\u201d charger, which I find misleading since it\u2019ll only charge up to three devices simultaneously. It seems to include the display and fan in its total. By that count, I\u2019d be happier if this was a 4-in-1 device, since the added cost for the display won\u2019t add much value for most people, and it can only cause issues down the road.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The watch charger is also a little silly in its over-engineering. A long-press on the dock\u2019s sole button kicks off a tiny motor to slowly push the watch dock out the side. I guess it adds to the blocky dock\u2019s durability when traveling, but not by much, and it can only be retracted when the dock is plugged into the wall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The display when charging a single device.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Overall the Kuxiu D5 is a fine Qi2.2 charging dock made better by active cooling. It\u2019s equally at home on a desktop or nightstand, and priced below similar docks from Anker<\/a>, ESR<\/a>, and others<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Active cooling on Qi chargers is a good idea whose time has come. Phones sold by Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo have supported wireless charging speeds of 50W and above for years<\/a>. But that\u2019s only possible when placed on proprietary charging docks capable of whisking away all the extra waste heat. Now the body responsible for Qi is working on a global 50W standard for release by 2028<\/a>. Manufacturers will likely need to adopt active cooling to reliably sustain those higher charging rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Fine by me. Whatever it takes to keep that vital Qi life force flowing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All photography by Thomas Ricker \/ The Verge<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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