OnePlus Warp Charge 30 Wireless Charger Review: Speed and sound
- Amongst fastest phone charging tech in world at launch
- Built-in fan and vent for cooling
- LED indicator
- Also Qi-standard / EPP cross-compatible
- Bedtime Mode
- LED indicator has no OFF option
- Cross-compatibility charges at max 10W
- Made for portrait position only (no landcape)
The OnePlus Warp Charge 30 Wireless Charger was advertised as allowing you to charge a OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone from 0% to 50% in 29 minutes. This device has a single LED indicator light, a built-in fan, a vent, and a rubber bumper, as well as Qi/EPP cross compatibility (see disclaimer below). It also costs nearly $70 USD. Could such a charger be worth that kind of cash?
The OnePlus Warp Charge 30 Wireless Charger works at full speed with a single device at launch – that's the OnePlus 8 Pro (see our full OnePlus 8 Pro review for more on that). Much like any sort of charging, wireless or wired, pushing energy into the battery in the device means heat. The faster the charge speed, the higher the potential heat.
Because of the potential for heat from fast charging, this charger has a fan. The fan works with a vent at the back of the area where the phone rests to charge to keep the phone from getting overheated during charging. There's also a space between the phone and the charging back – this is on purpose, also in place to keep air flowing and the phone from getting too hot.
The OnePlus 8 Pro has a set of features that work specifically with this charger, like "Bedtime Mode". If you've got Bedtime Mode set up, the phone charges at max 10W, meaning the fan doesn't need to work as hard to keep the phone cool whilst charging.
The charger's full physical size is 74*118*77.9mm. The charger weighs in at 300g, and its exterior is largely made of PC (V0) polycarbonate. The plug input (US standard plug) is 100-220V ~50/60Hz 1.2A, output depends on the device it detects – 5W/7.5W/10W/30W.
Charging Speed
Charging speed appeared to be the same (or well within a margin of error) regardless of which case we used with the OnePlus 8 Pro. That included each of the standard cases OnePlus had for sale at launch for the OnePlus 8 Pro: Sandstone, clear transparent silicone (included with the device, in the box), and the OnePlus Karbon Bumper Case (Kevlar + TPU). OnePlus suggests that this wireless charger will work fine so long as the phone case is thinner than 8mm.
Charging is smart – it does indeed go approximately as fast as OnePlus promises, from 0% to 50% in around 30 minutes. Much like other fast chargers, this charger slows down the closer it gets to full, so it's not accidentally stressing the battery out, significantly lessening the lifespan of the phone (assuming you're not a DIY parts replacement sort of person).
Even after the 50% mark is reached, the charger charges quite a bit quicker than the chargers of yesteryear. It's fun to see the battery meter fill up before your very eyes. At around 70% we can see the battery percentage go up by 1% every few seconds. This is with the OnePlus 8 Pro with its in-box thin transparent silicone case, mind you.
Non-OnePlus Wireless Charging
If you're using this charger to charge a non-OnePlus phone, the charge is lower, therefore significantly slower, than 30W. Slower, maybe, than the wireless charging pad you've already got at home. If you're charging a Qi-standard wireless charge-friendly device that's not from OnePlus, you're charging at a max of 10W.
Sound level of running fan
After a couple of weeks of use, the level of sound of the fan does not seem to have increased to any significant degree. Below you'll see a video captured at point-blank range, at the back of the charger.
You'll have to turn your volume up significantly to hear the fan – maybe even wear headphones. It's been surprisingly quiet so far.
Wrap-up
If you've got a OnePlus 8 Pro in mind and you're looking to get the full experience, you'll probably consider purchasing this wireless charger. You do not NEED this charger to use the OnePlus 8 Pro, as the phone comes with a USB cord and a Warp Charge fast charge plug in the box. But this charger with this phone is the only way to get this fast a charge speed on a OnePlus device right this minute.
The Bedtime Mode working specifically with the OnePlus 8 Pro (and likely future OnePlus devices) is a bit of a bonus – but it might just be the last ingredient you need to push you into a buy. You'll find this charger available for around $70 from OnePlus as of April 29, 2020. You might also find the device for free in a "launch day bundle" from OnePlus dot com on April 15 – after that, it'll be priced at around $70.