HTC’s VR and fitness products have been in the press quite a bit over the past few weeks, but now a new rumor has come to light that claims that we may see two exciting smartphones from HTC later this year. The source of this news claims that HTC will be working with Google to develop 5-inch and a 5.5-inch Nexus smartphones sometime in 2016. Since Nexus phones are typically released in the fall, there’s really no additional information to share at this time.

In addition to building the T-Mobile G1, HTC was also chosen by Google to build the Nexus One, the very first Nexus device. Over the years, Google has turned to Samsung, LG, Motorola and Huawei to build subsequent Nexus phones, but it looks like things may finally come full circle. Nexus phones typically do not sell well, but the companies that have built the devices for Google often benefit from the partnership and have seen increased sales of their other Android devices. There’s no guarantee that building a Nexus device will have any lasting impact on HTC’s bottom line, but we certainly don’t see a downside to it.

Based on the devices that HTC has released recently, do you think the company is worthy of building Google’s 2016 Nexus phones?

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Wireless charging has two major disadvantages that stand in its was compared to standard wireless charging: (1) Charging speed and (2) The mobile device needs to be positioned just right for the coils in the phone and charger to work together. In most standard puck-style wireless chargers, there’s nothing physically helping you position your phone correctly to enable the wireless charging. So, you need to fiddle around with the phone position until the phone notifies you it’s charging. This experience kind of ruins all the convenience that comes from using wireless charging. Most people don’t like to use difficult to use things, even if it removes cables from the equation.

A few companies have jumped on a superior design for a wireless charger: The stand. I’ve been using the TYLT VU for over two years and love it. I own three. Today, we review the Choetech Iron Stand Qi wireless charger. The advantage of the stand design is that I never need to hunt for the right phone position on the wireless charger. I set my Nexus 6 down so it’s relatively centered on charging stand and it starts charging. It’s that easy.

I love the way the Choetech Iron Stand looks. It looks better in person than it does on Amazon. The Iron Stand has an aluminum frame that gives it a great look and sturdy feel. It has rubber feet that hold it in place well on different surfaces. It also has a rubber pad for the mobile device to sit on so it’s not sitting directly on aluminum. The charging coils sit in a plastic case behind the stand and are covered by a mirror finish plastic that looks great. The Iron Stand is powered with a 2 Amp adapter and a micro-USB cable that plugs into the right side of the device. 1 Amp is supplied by the wireless charging coils. The stand has bright blue LEDs that light up when the wireless charging is enabled.

The Iron Stand has three coils (as can be viewed in the image to the left) that allows for flexible positioning that works in landscape or portrait mode. Additoinally, the stand makes your phone usable while it’s sitting there charging. It holds your phone at an angle so you can watch videos or easily browse email. It’s a much more convenient position compared to sitting flat on a desk.

We’ve reviewed only one other stand style wireless charger here on Android and Me, the TYLT VU. I will be comparing the Choetech Iron Stand charger with the TYLT VU. I like the Iron Stand over the TYLT VU in almost every aspect. Here’s what I like:

• The looks. The TYLT VU has lots of fun colors, but none of them look very fancy. They have a more sporty silicone look. The Iron Stand is aluminum, built strong, and looks premium. It would look great and professional on any desk.
• The charging footprint. I’ve never had trouble with positioning with the TYLT VU with my Nexus devices, but the Samsung Galaxy S6 doesn’t seem to like the TYLT VU in portrait positioning. The Choetech Iron Stand has no issues with the Galaxy S6 or my Nexus 6 in any position. I think this will be the first wireless charger my wife will actually use because it works with her Galaxy S6 every try.
• The angle. The angle on the Choetech Iron Stand is steeper than the TYLT VU which I think makes it better for use while on the desk. This is probably subjective, The TYLT VU is a tad too shallow for me. When my wife uses the TYLT VU to watch shows on the tablet, I often find her propping up the back with a book or something to increase the angle. I don’t think she’d need to do that with the Iron Stand.
• Micro-USB charging input. The TYLT VU uses a barrel style charging connector to power it. The Iron Stand uses a micro-USB cable. If you’re anything like me, you have plenty of micro-USB chargers and cables laying around and it’s nice to not have to have another charging cable if I don’t need to. The Iron Stand charger using micr0-USB power is convenient.
• The price. The Choetech Iron Stand is only $35.99 on Amazon (at the time of writing this post) compared to $54 for the cheapest TYLT VU color option. This price feels like a steal for how awesome this wireless charger is. Additionally for a limited time, we have an exclusive Amazon coupon code from Choetech, PYNVNA6E, to take an additional $7 off the Iron Stand bringing the price down to $28.99. This offer is good through Friday, Jan 22.

How does the Choetech Iron Stand compare to the TYLT VU with regards to charging speed? Looking at the figure to the right, the charging speeds are basically identical between the two different chargers with my Nexus 6. As a disclaimer, these values are not averages over several different tests, but single tests. So the results may vary on different days or with different devices. With my Nexus 6, the TYLT VU and Iron Stand charged at a rate of about 0.20% per minute when rounded to the nearest hundredth. It’s a clear tie.

The Choetech Iron Stand is a beautiful Qi wireless charger at a great price. It can be found for $35.99 on Amazon and comes with an 18 month warranty. As already stated, we have an exclusive Amazon coupon code for a limited time, PYNVNA6E, to take an additional $7 of the Iron Stand bringing the price down to $28.99. This offer is good through Friday, Jan 22. Without being able to comment on durability or longevity of the device like I can with the TYLT VU, the Choetech Iron Stand has reached #1 on my list of reviewed wireless chargers. It looks great, it works great, and the price is great. I highly recommend it.

What’s your favorite wireless charger? If you don’t have a wireless charging device, what’s your favorite charging accessory? Have any questions about the Choetech Iron Stand? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

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