SanDisk is a popular brand when it comes to products like hard drives, memory cards, flash drives, and more. The company recently entered the wireless charger market with the launch of its SanDisk Ixpand wireless charger range.
The new series includes two models – SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charging Sync and SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger (15W). The former offers features like backing up the phone's data and simultaneously charging the phone. However, the latter is the more affordable one and comes with a price tag of Rs 1,999. So, does it make sense to opt for this new wireless charger from SanDisk? I have been using it for a while and here's what you should know before buying it.
What's in the Box
The wireless charger comes with a sleek charging pad and offers a 1.5-metre long cable. One of the best parts about this wireless charger is that it comes with a 24W adaptor (more on that later) that can deliver at different outputs ranging from 15W to18W to 24W. But, despite such high output capabilities, the wireless charger only maxes out at 15W, which is quite odd. As per the company, the SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger support 15W wireless charging for both Android and iPhone devices. For Android, you can get fast wireless charging starting from as old as the Samsung Galaxy S7/Note 8 to newer devices, LG G7/V40 ThinQ and newer, and iPhone 8/8 Plus and newer.
Design
Coming to the design, the charging pad is sleek and you can quickly slip it into your backpack without much hassle. The device can be placed near your bed table or working desk with the help of the 1.5-metre cable (but not too far). The wireless charger comes with two rubber rings that are placed at the bottom and top of the pad. The bottom rings provide the much-needed grip when placed the pad on a flat surface, while the rubber no-slip ring at the top prevents your device from slipping. There is also an LED indicator (more on this later). The base has a Type-C port, which is a smart move from the company as it does not get in the way of the phone.
That said, the one thing I didn't like about the wireless charger was its colour. The charger comes in a white colour option and attracts a lot of dust. I had to clean almost regularly, which is a task in itself for a lazy person like me. It would have been much better if the company added more colour options (simple rule: dark colour=less cleaning).
Features
As I said, the SanDisk Ixpand wireless charger comes with an LED indicator, which is super handy, in my opinion. The LED light indicates whether the phone has been placed correctly on the charging pad or not. So, if you place it at the centre of the charging pad, it will turn blue. This means that your device is charging. If you place it somewhere else, it will flash in orange colour. This means that the charging is not taking place.
I used my Apple iPhone 12 Mini with this charger and this feature helped me a lot – after all, it is one heck of a slippery device. And this is not only the case with iPhones, most of the smartphones that support wireless charging comes with glass panels, which makes them slippery. So, whenever I place my iPhone on the wireless charging pad, it tends to slip. This is where the no-slip grip and the LED indicator comes to the rescue. The no-slip grip holds the phone, while the LED indicator tells me whether the device is charging or not.
Charging Speed
Moving to the charging speeds, the SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger supports up to 15W wireless fast charging. But sadly, the iPhone 12 Mini is only limited to 12W fast wireless charging, while the rest of the series support 15W (I know, I know! I should have done my research before buying it). During the testing, I found that my iPhone 12 Mini charged at a slower charging speed with the Ixpand Wireless Charger when compared to Magsafe-certified RAEGR MagFix Arc M650, which was quite odd, to be honest. The Ixpand wireless charger was able to fully charge my iPhone in more than 3 hours, while the RAEGR wireless charger was able to charge the device in 2 hours.
Another thing I noticed while using the wireless pad was charging it with the case. I used the Urban Armor Gear Back Cover Case for iPhone 12 Mini, which is a bulky case. So, whenever I charged the phone with this case on, would not wireless charge for some reason. This wasn't the case with the RAEGR MagFix Arc wireless charge. However, if you charge it without the case, the problem ceases to exist.
So, the best way to use this charger is by keeping your phone to charge overnight(and without the case). If you are planning to use it during the day, then you will be a bit disappointed with the charging speed. That said, I am sure that the wireless charger might work better with other phones like the Galaxy S21 or the OnePlus 9 Pro. Plus, if you are not satisfied with the wireless charging, you can always use the 24W adaptor to quick charge your device. I used the POCO X3 smartphone for this. The phone comes with a 6,000mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging support. During the testing, I found out that the 24W adapter was able to charge the device from 30 per cent to 70 per cent in 42 minutes, while it took around 1 hour and 40 minutes to get to 100 per cent. So, that's another perk of having this wireless charger.
Verdict
The SanDisk Ixpand Wireless Charger (15W) comes at an affordable price of Rs 1,999, which is on point. For this value, you are getting a wireless charger, which can also double as a quick charger with its 24W adapter. The product also ships with a long 1.5-metre cable, which is convenient for sure and the pad itself is sturdy. In this price segment, most of the wireless chargers top out at 10W fast charging support, while this one stands out from the crowd with up to 15W support. So, if you are one of those who want a simple wireless charger that can also double as a quick charger for your Android smartphone, then you can easily consider this device.
