Wireless charging at wired speed

Realme MagDart is the first Android system equivalent to Apple’s MagSafe, and has increased the promise of wireless and wired charging speed. In fact, Realme calls it the fastest magnetic wireless charger in the world. Apple’s MagSafe charges at a rather slow 15W, while Realme’s MagDart reaches a peak speed of over 50W-although we will see later, its typical charging speed is slower.

In addition to wireless charging, Realme also uses the same magnetic connection in its MagDart Beauty Light, which is a 60-LED selfie light ring. There is also a MagDart wallet, a MagDart protective case for Realme GT and MagDart mobile power accessories. Realme has not yet listed the price information, release date or regional availability of any MagSafe similar products. The company’s only smartphone with this technology built-in is a concept phone called Realme Flash, which we will use today for testing. But again, there is no release information available.

Even so, can Realme’s MagDart wireless charger deliver on its promise? Let us find out.

Realme MagDart: What you need to know

The Realme MagDart wireless charger is thicker than a typical hockey puck-sized hub. It is more like a charging block because it contains a fan designed to keep the charger and connected smartphone cool. The fan will spin during fast charging, and you will definitely notice the noise on the desk. It is not loud, but far from cautious. The concept smartphone we have offers a silent charging option, which reduces the fan speed at the expense of lower charging power and speed.

There is a USB-C connector on the brick, which supports Realme’s proprietary 65W SuperDart wired charger to achieve the fastest speed. It also works well with the USB Power Delivery plug, although it is therefore less power and slower to charge. Just like the iPhone solution, Realme uses a ring of magnets to fix your phone on the charger and precisely align the wireless charging coil. It is this precision, sturdy coil and sufficient current that enable MagDart to provide up to 50W of power through the air. As with all wireless chargers, there is some power loss in the air, but this is still one of the fastest wireless chargers, at least on paper, it is also comparable to the fastest wired charging power capabilities.

For traditionalists, Realme also has a 15W MagDart wireless charger with a more familiar ice hockey-like design. Realme claims that this is the thinnest product on the market, 26.4% thinner than similar Apple MagSafe products. Realme says it’s also faster, but for today’s test, we are more interested in the larger and more powerful 50W model.

Realme MagDart wireless charging test

In order to test Realme’s statement and the functionality of the 50W MagDart charger, I added an extra layer of data to our regular tests when powering the 4,500mAh battery of the concept phone. In addition to battery and temperature statistics, I also track the voltage and current sent to the wireless charger to keep a close eye on the amount of power used. Therefore, let us delve into the key indicators.

It takes 54 minutes to fully charge MagDart, which is very fast. In fact, this is as fast as many smartphones that use a wired connection to charge-although it is still slower than some of the fastest charging smartphones, which can be fully charged in nearly half the time. Traditional 15W wireless charging usually takes several hours or more to fully charge a smartphone, which makes it more suitable for small recharges than a full charging cycle. MagDart definitely challenges the old paradigm.

Looking carefully at the charging data (see below), the charging speed of the wireless charger is not 50% faster than the wired standard. Its charging curve is more linear than fast wired charging, which uses the battery’s high current handling capabilities to achieve faster charging with lower capacity. Wireless charging is as hot as wired charging, and even hotter than wired charging. Realme’s technology reached the dreaded 40°C mark in three minutes. The temperature only peaks at 42.5°C, but the entire charging time of the battery is in the red zone, which is really not ideal.

In addition to using a fan in the charger to combat this higher temperature, MagDart has also drastically reduced its charging power after the initial rapid increase. The titled 50W juice lasts only during the first minute of charging, then drops to 45W within a few minutes, then 33W, 28W, and finally about 23W. The very high power lasts for less than five minutes, which is a bit disappointing considering MagDart’s marketing methods.

You can also take a look: The best phone with wireless charging

Ultimately, this reduction in power is necessary to control the temperature. Interestingly, once the battery temperature starts to drop as the capacity fills up, the power will slowly rise again. The average power provided throughout the charging cycle is close to 25W-about half of the listed amount. That being said, this is still as fast as many wired charging standards you find in flagship smartphones. Therefore, Realme’s task is completed.

Realme MagDart: verdict

Realme’s MagDart wireless charger can be fully charged in less than an hour, achieving the goal of providing wired charging speed in a wireless package. The clever use of magnets ensures that the coils are properly aligned, so that the mat can provide a huge power of 50W through the air. Although the nature of wireless charging and high temperatures currently cannot maintain these peak power levels throughout the charging cycle, this power is comparable to the power you find in some of the fastest wired chargers.

Charging the battery for more than 50 minutes at temperatures above 40°C will make MagDart too hot and I do not recommend it as the main charging method. Such a high temperature will definitely affect the service life of the battery in multiple charging cycles. I prefer a temperature of 35°C or below. Nevertheless, in terms of hardware fan and software power throttling, Realme has obviously taken temperature as a key consideration in charger design. Temperature is still under control, but it is the limiting factor that further promotes charging power and speed.

In the end, this leads people to ask a question: Why use MagDart wireless charging via a USB-C cable? The MagDart charger is a bit noisy, takes up space on your desk, and still needs to be plugged into a nearby USB-C adapter. The fastest wired charging standards are also faster, so the time the battery is exposed to high temperatures is shorter. But MagDart is not just fast charging, Realme also uses magnets for accessories, including wallets and selfie lights. As a proof of concept, MagDart is reliable and may be a boon to portless gadgets and other accessories. But for the foreseeable future, I will stick to wired charging.