When the first iPhones launched with wireless charging capabilities, many of the first wireless charging accessories designed for the new devices were the plain, flat wireless charging pads.

Now that companies have had time to innovate and come up with more efficient charging solutions, we're seeing more and more upright wireless charging stands, like iOttie's new iON Wireless Charging Stand.

iottiewirelesschargingstandempty
Upright wireless charging stands offer several benefits over the flat wireless charging options, and are by far my favorite charging solutions for the iPhone X and new iPhone XS models. With a wireless charging stand, it's impossible to place the iPhone at the wrong position for charging to start automatically, which is not the case with flat charging solutions.

When I'm using a flat pad, I have on multiple occasions put the iPhone a little bit left or right of the center of the built-in charging coil, which means it won't charge. Then I have to adjust multiple times and double check to make sure everything is lined up.

With the little shelf that's available on upright stands, there's basically no room for error when positioning the iPhone, so it's better for peace of mind, especially when charging an iPhone on a wireless charger at night. And, in addition to the no-hassle charging, upright stands offer the benefit of being able to look over and see the iPhone's screen at a glance.

iottiewirelesschargerback
iOttie's iON Wireless Stand, like its flat charger, is one of the more unique wireless charging accessories I've run into. It's actually almost identical in design to the iON Fast Charging Pad Plus and the iON Fast Charging Pad Mini, but it's a stand instead of a pad.

The iON Wireless Stand is covered in an attractive tweed-style fabric that's available in gray, beige, and red, with the gray pictured in my images. It's a little more professional looking than your average plastic charging stand, so I think it's a great option for an office. It does, of course, look just as attractive at home on a desk or a night stand.

Size wise, the stand has a fairly small base (right around two inches square) so it's not going to take up as much room as one of the flat charging options.

iottiewirelessstandbottom
At the bottom of the iON Wireless Stand, there's a grippy rubber pad to make sure that it stays in place on a flat surface without slipping around, and a plastic shelf at the bottom of the charger holds the iPhone in place. The shelf is covered with the same rubber material to ensure your iPhone is secure.

My phone didn't slip or move while on the iON Wireless Stand, but these upright chargers are more prone to being knocked over or bumped which is something to be aware of. There are no side bars holding the iPhone in place on this stand, so if you give it a good knock, your iPhone runs the risk of falling off.

iottiewirelesschargingstandfront
iOttie designed the iON Wireless Stand to be just a bit narrower in width than the iPhone X and XS, so when your phone is on the stand, the stand is hidden from view from the front.

At the back of the stand, there's a USB-C port where the USB-C to USB-A cord plugs in to the charging brick that's included with the stand. On the right side, there's an LED that lights up while charging is taking place. The LED is a distraction, but it's not so bright that it can't be used at night in a dark room.

iottiewirelesschargingstandcord
What I like about the iON Wireless Stand in addition to the fabric design is the 65-degree angle of the charging plate that the iPhone rests against. It's in an ideal position for looking over at the iPhone when a notification comes in or glancing at the time at night. It can double as a stand for watching portrait or landscape videos.

Speaking of landscape mode, you can charge an iPhone on the iON Wireless Stand in either portrait or landscape orientation because there are two coils inside of it, which means the corresponding coil in the iPhone lines up properly in either position.

iottiewirelesschargingstandback
Like iOttie's other wireless charging options, the iON Wireless Stand charges compatible iPhone models at 7.5W, the maximum wireless charging speed for Apple's current crop of devices. Android devices charge at a faster 10W pace.

7.5W charging is not all that much faster than 5W charging in most charging conditions, but it is going to give you a little more juice.

iottiewirelesschargingstandside2
I drained my iPhone X to 1 percent battery life, put it in Airplane Mode, and put it on the iON Wireless Stand to charge for an hour, which is the same testing protocol that I use for all wireless charger reviews.

In a one hour period, the iPhone X charged up to 38 percent, which is in line with the charging speeds that I saw from iOttie's other 7.5W charging options and 7.5W charging pads from other companies.

Wireless charging is temperature dependent so the 38 percent metric was with the ambient room temperature at about 74 degrees. When it's colder in the winter, I've seen 7.5W wireless chargers charge to about 45 percent within an hour.

I tested the iON Wireless Stand with a standard Apple Silicone case, but iOttie says it'll work with cases up to 7mm thick.

Bottom Line

Now that Apple has embraced Qi wireless charging, there are hundreds of wireless charging accessories on the market at a range of price points. You can get cheap 5W wireless charger on Amazon for about $10 and there are a lot of 7.5W chargers out there now that aren't too much more expensive.

At $49.95, the iON Wireless Stand is pricier than those plain charging pads you can get on Amazon, but I think for some people, the convenience of an upright stand and the design of the iON may be worth the price.

iottiechargingstandside
When compared to other premium upright wireless charging stands from Logitech and Belkin, iOttie's solution is competitively priced at $20 less, making it an attractive choice for those looking for a quality charging stand.

How to Buy

iOttie's iON Wireless Stand can be purchased from the iOttie website for $49.95 or from Amazon for $44.95.

Note: iOttie provided MacRumors with an iON Wireless Stand for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

Top Rated Comments

strayts Avatar
72 months ago
I mean, how is that easier/more convenient than simply plugging in a lightning cable?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sundog925 Avatar
72 months ago
That is one FUGLY ass charger.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
x-evil-x Avatar
72 months ago
I have this from amazon. Looks much better imo. I had the lower piece powder coated in black.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079KSSY9G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
[doublepost=1538794138][/doublepost]....
[doublepost=1538794335][/doublepost]
you grab the lighting cable in the dark, feel for the bottom and plug in a the reversible cord, whats difficult about that?
depends where you have this but I don't have to use two hands. I dont look and I just put it on top of my bed stand. If I see a notification I want to respond to I use one hand to pick it up and use it for a little bit and put it back down. Its much more convenient then having a cable.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
72 months ago
I mean, how is that easier/more convenient than simply plugging in a lightning cable?
It's easier for me at night when it's dark in my bedroom to just stick my iPhone on the wireless charger. If I were using a Lightning dock or cable, I'd have to turn on a light.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
x-evil-x Avatar
72 months ago
I like the look of that clock - what is it?
Echo spot yes. I have the stand for it too its pretty nice for a table.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kanki1985 Avatar
72 months ago
wow! very similar thing on amazon for $10. what are they charging $45 for? Probably that ugly jacket its covered in?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
iphone 16 dummies

iPhone 16 Dummy Models Showcase Design Changes, New Buttons

Tuesday March 26, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Images comparing purportedly accurate dummy models of the iPhone 16 series have been shared online, providing a closer look at the rumored design of the upcoming devices. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to get larger display sizes this year, according to multiple sources, while the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be the same size as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. ...