If you are someone who is knee-deep into Apple’s ecosystem, you probably have an iPhone, an Apple Watch and an AirPods (Pro probably).
Charging this Apple’s trio at the same time becomes quite a chore, as it means you have to use three cables. That’s why we are seeing many charging stations or stands, such as the rather-expensive Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 we reviewed earlier this year.
However, there are cheaper alternatives, such as the S$89 Uniq Aereo Mag 3-in-1 wireless charging station.
SPECS
PRICE: S$89, available in Lazada and Shopee
WEIGHT: 176g
DESIGN
As its name implies, the Aereo Mag is able to charge the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at one location simultaneously using one cable.
Out of the box, it comes with the main wireless charging pad, an Apple Watch mount, a USB-A-to-USB-C cable and a USB-A wall charger.
The entire unit is dark grey, meaning it will never look dirty even it is covered under a layer of dust. It is certainly not as sleek as Belkin BoostCharge Pro. In fact, the Aereo Mag feels a bit plastic. In addition, it requires a bit of assembly before you can use it.
As you can see, the circular magnetic wirelesss charging surface and rectangular AirPods wireless charging surface needs no installation. But the Apple Watch mount needs an Apple Watch charging cable (not included in the box) to be installed.
Before use, you have to coil the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable under its base. To do so, remove the magnetic bottom cover. Insert the Apple Watch charging cable through the mount and into the hole on the wireless charging pad. Secure the mount in place on top of the charging pad.
Next, you need to coil the cable around the cord organiser at the bottom and insert the USB-A cable into the charging port. This is the tricky part. You need to ensure the coiling is near perfect, so that there are no excess cable protruding out of the bottom when you insert the cable into the charging port. It took me three tries to get it right.
Finally, connect the USB-C cable to the rear of the wireless charging station, and it is ready for use.
PERFORMANCE
The Aereo Mag works as advertised, charging my iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 7 and AirPods Pro simultaneously without any issues.
FOR
+ Affordable
+ Convenient to use
+ LED indicator lets you know if devices are charging
+ Can charge other devices too
AGAINST
– Need an Apple Watch charging cable
– A bit of assembly needed
– Slow charging
The Apple Watch mount is designed to support Nightstand mode. So, you can place the smartwatch only on landscape orientation. But this is great, because it works even when your Apple Watch is using closed-loop watch strap.
An LED indicator in front will light up in blue when it is ready for charging. It will blink alternately between blue and green when an iPhone and AirPods are detected and charging.
If the iPhone or AirPods is misplaced and not charging, the LED indicator will blink rapidly between blue and green. Thus, you will know if your devices are actually charging, instead of waking up to discover you have misplaced the devices and they didn’t charge overnight.
But it is important to note that while the wireless charging surface is magnetic, it is actually not a MagSafe connection. It does help to keep an iPhone in place but it is not as secure as a MagSafe connection.
However, this means you can charge any smartphone that supports wireless charging on it. It works for Samsung Galaxy Fold3 and Huawei P40 Pro when I placed them on it.
Not to mention, the AirPods charging pad also lets you charge other true wireless earbuds’ casing wirelessly. I tried placing the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ on it, and it charges without any issues.
On the downside, the charging is pretty slow. Using the included wall charger and charging cable, the iPhone 13 Pro Max gets charged from 70 per cent to full in 3 hours 30 minutes.
VERDICT
Perhaps, the best part of the Aereo Mag is its price. At S$89, it is much cheaper than some of its competitors out there like the above-mentioned Belkin BoostCharge Pro that costs S$209.
If you don’t mind sacrificing your Apple Watch charging cable, the Uniq Aereo Mag will be the perfect wireless charging station for your Apple trio.
RATINGS
DESIGN: 7/10
PERFORMANCE: 9/10
VALUE FOR MONEY: 9/10
OVERALL: 8/10
