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We’ve all been there. You plug your trusty, frayed charging cable into your iPhone, but much to your dismay, its days of charging your handset are no more. Rather than scour your junk drawer for a new cord, you may want to consider a MagSafe solution likeESR’s HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger.
Damaged cables aside,wireless chargerscome with their own set of issues. As long as you understand its limitations, this little charging puck can up your productivity, improve your iPhone’s entertainment value, and prevent the need for a charge before bed.
A Simplistic, Thoughtful Design
I’ll start off by saying that I like the minimalist white and metallic design the HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger offers. It doesn’t attempt to be the start of the show, and it never distracts from the phone’s screen.
However, I wouldn’t mind seeing more than one finish option; I could see this charger looking just as good or even better in understated colors like black or dark blue. Of course, this has no impact on functionality, so the charger coming solely in white is far from a deal breaker in my mind.
If you’re used to wireless chargers that lay flat on a surface, the HaloLock Shift’s stand will undoubtedly be a step up in the ease of use department. Rather than lift your phone off the charger, or carry aMagSafe puckon the back of the phone as you bring it to your face, ESR’s charger puts your phone in a position that shows you everything you need to know.
Related:Apple iPhone 14 Pro Review: Dynamically the Same
I find it especially useful on a desk, giving me updates and reminders at a glance while I work away. Paired with theiPhone 14 Pro’sAlways-On Display, it’s almost like adding another monitor to your desktop setup.
There’s also the added benefit of easy camera operation. If you create content, or just enjoy frequent FaceTime chats with friends and family, the HaloLock Shift charger will save you some shoulder strain and allow you to have both hands free for demonstrations, tutorials, or general nonverbal communication.
And, if you want to swap orientations from portrait to landscape, just rotate your phone while it’s attached to the stand.
Say you don’t want to charge your phone using the stand—no worries. Whenever you want, you’re able to pull the charging puck off of the stand and lay it flat on a desk, take it to your car (though you may want to check outESR’s HaloLock Wireless Car Chargerif this is your main goal), throw it in a bag for transport, or answer any phone calls that come through.
ESR HaloLock Shift Wireless Car Charger
Charge your MagSafe-compatible iPhone while in your car without having to plug in any cables.
However, this design isn’t airtight. In the event you want your phone’s screen higher up or further down, you’re out of luck. The only adjustability this stand offers is in removing the charging puck from the stand; you don’t have many options otherwise, aside from the tried and true monitor method of boosting the stand with books.
Furthermore, a wireless charger doesn’t mean you’re free of cords. In fact, I would call the HaloLock Shift’s 5ft (1.5m) cord, which attaches to the bottom USB-C port of the charging puck, exceptionally long. This comes with its own set of pros and cons. When you detach the puck, you’ll be able to move it just about anywhere, but when it’s on the stand, you have a spool of wire and not much to do with it.
If you’re a cable management pro, or you want the charger on the other end of the device or adapter it draws power from, this isn’t an issue. But for most use cases, you’ll have to find a way to stash the unsightly wire.
Last on the design’s cons list is the problem I ran into when trying to use this MagSafe charger with a phone case. Despite myIncipio iPhone 14 Procase stating its MagSafe compatibility, it just wouldn’t stick. You’d likely have better luck with anofficial MagSafe case from Apple(something ESR addresses in itsFAQ section), but be warned that you may have to use this charger without a case if it’s from a third-party retailer.
All in all, I think the HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger brings a lot to the table design-wise. It puts my phone where it needs to be for easy notification reading and text answering, and I can always take the charging puck with me if the need arises. However, I do think the charger could stand for some height adjustment options and a cleaner cable solution.
Charging Power: More Than Sufficient
With an 18W output, ESR’s HaloLock Shift charger puts up solid numbers, especially when it comes to wireless chargers. 18W is greater than the 15W of wireless charging that MagSafe-compatible iPhones accept, but it’s admittedly slower than a wired 20W or30W connection.
As the ESR HaloLock Shift is not an official MagSafe wireless charger, your iPhone will only charge at 7.5W. To take full advantage of the 18W speeds, you’ll need acompatible Android smartphoneand amagnetic mount.
However, since you can set your iPhone on the HaloLock charger and forget about it, it keeps your iPhone near full charge all day long. You won’t have to worry about charging up mid-day or before bed, and you’ll still have your phone right at your fingertips, rather than at the nearest wall outlet.
This may cause some concern for battery drain in the long term, but as long as you haveOptimized Battery Charging enabled, it should largely minimize these effects.
Should You Buy the ESR HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger?
If you want to break free from frayed cables, you should definitely consider theESR HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger. Not only does it power your iPhone throughout the day, it also keeps your notifications, phone calls, and YouTube videos right at your fingertips.
Be aware that you’ll need a MagSafe-compatible case (fromAppleorESR’s HaloLock collection) and a way to deal with a 5ft cord. You’ll also have to be a fan of the height the phone sits at since there’s no way to adjust the base.
If you’re looking to charge more than one device at once, you may want to look into options like theNomad Base One Maxwhich can power your iPhone and Apple Watch, or theMophie snap+ 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Standwhich can also juice up your AirPods.
You can pick the HaloLock Shift Wireless Charger up in white for $39.99, which is roughly the same price as anApple 20W adapterand1m lightning cable.
