[Galaxy Note 3 Accessories] krelvinaz:
[Review] TechMatte Qi Compatible Wireless Receiver

Reposted since the original post disappeared. Moderator (Naddict) said it may have been a system issue last night.

I was asked to review the TechMatte Qi Wireless Receiver. I already had one of the "blue" Qi receivers that I got off of eBay and have been using for close to a week. There is nothing wrong with the "Blue" Receiver, but this was an opportunity to look at a different version of receiver. There are also different versions of Blue receivers which I have not tried as well as other white and black receivers.

This is a review about a specific Sellers product, what they are selling, what it costs, how it compared and installed and my opinion of it.

The package arrived via First Class mail and inside was a small cardboard package.

Inside the package was three items:

The Qi Reciever

A Thank You Card with warranty and return policies on it

Instruction Card

The Reciever

Pics of the Receiver both front and back.

Compared to the "Blue" Version

Note that my "blue" version only has 2 connectors. I've now seen others which have 3. The TechMatte receiver has 3 and they are spaced properly where the "Blue" receiver was a bit too close.

In the picture, the arrow on the "Blue" receiver image shows that I had trimmed the edge of the receiver. I also had removed the blue sticker on the cover side of the receiver in an attempt to make it thinner.

The arrows on the white/black receiver show where the tape that holds the receiver in place is, and the 3 connectors which are used to connect to the phone.

The advantage to have 3 connectors is that it eliminates any guessing which connectors to use.

The "Blue" Receiver installed in the phone

Note that I had removed the blue sticker on the cover side of the receiver to make it "thinner". I had also trimmed it a bit.

The TechMatte Receiver Installed in the phone

The 3 connectors were properly spaced on this receiver unlike the "blue" one that I had been using. The "Blue" had only 2 connectors and they were too closely spaced making the connection iffy.

No trimming or adjustments were needed.

The unit sits very flat, appeared to be wide to me, but when I put the cover on there was no bulge at all.

Images with cover on

Didn't bother with any images since I couldn't even tell there was a receiver in the phone. As a result, using the case I use (Spigen Bounce) there was no issue either.

Performance

This receiver worked the first time I installed it. No re-positioning or re-seating necessary. I have a Nokia DT-900 pad at the house and it links and charges pretty much as soon as you place the phone on the pad even with the Bounce case.

Early in the morning when I tried it, the phone was pretty much already fully charged. It looked like the charge rate was lower than I expected. However later in the morning when I did some real looking and compared between Battery Charger and the Galaxy Battery Charge apps, all I have seen is a solid 640mAh when charging.

While the phone gets warm while charging as expected, it doesn't get overly hot. I will do a real heat test between the two when I get the "Blue" receiver to a co-working. Will use a infrared heat detector to see what the temps are between the two phones in the same configuration. I suspect they will be similar if not the same.

NFC Usage

One issue that came up while testing was whether or not the receiver would effect the usage of the NFC on the phone. I had not used NFC on the phone yet and really didn't have anything to test it with on hand. Will update when I get some tags to test.

**UPDATE**

I received some NFC tags today to test this part that I was originally not able to test. The receiver does make a pretty big difference in how well the phone can see the tags. Without it, they are read very easily and quickly without really having to pay much attention where you are tapping (if you even have to touch). With the receiver, you have to actually touch, and move it around a bit to be seen. If you need to or want to use NFC on a regular basis, you most likely need to look at a different receiver for your note 3. :(

Specifications:

Size: 0.6mm

Weight: 0.6 oz (17g)

Charging voltage: 5V

Charging current: 600mA

Charging frequency: 100 - 200Khz

Wireless distance: 5mm

Energy conversion: more than 72%

Cost/Website etc...

TechMatte did not povide any sales info with the package. But finding where they sell it was easy.

URL: See Update below

**UPDATE** They sent me this URL as the location for purchase since the other one will apparently be discontinued soon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GMRXD9U

Price: $12.99

Shipping: $1.99 (assumed First Class Mail) or expedited for $4.99 (Assumed priority Mail). Note that this shipped from PA and it took only 2 days to get to the house in Arizona via regular First Class Mail. The purchase of 2 or more would qualify for free shipping if you needed more than one.

Looking at the new website link it includes Free Shipping which is assumed to be by First Class mail. This should get to most in the Continental US in 2 days or so.

The unit is shipped from the US, so in many cases it will get delivered much quicker than the same types of units sold on eBay and shipped from China. The unit I got was shipped from PA and got to AZ in 2 days via First Class Mail in a white padded envelope.

Warranty:

30-Day Money Back Guarantee

12 Month Replacement Warranty

They have local support via a website, email and have a link for Amazon reviews to post your review.

Documentation:

A welcome sight.... The package included a Thanks card and an Instruction sheet though that really wasn't needed:

My Impressions

Showed quick shipping (from PA to AZ in 2 days)

Packing was well done and complete

Included documentation

Easy to install, Pin spacing was correct and package is flat.

No perceptible bulge so it works with all cases.

Worked the first time with no adjustments

A bit higher priced than others, but again, quick shipping and local support

Uses an Amazon shopping cart system with reviews.

Performance matched previously used products.

Not Ebay with shipping from China 7-10 day shipping.

No recommended if you need or want to use NFC.

Would most likely look this direction if I needed more of them and would recommend them to others.

As for cost... hmm.. $700 phone, $15 with shipping Qi receiver... patience in shipping time (I want it now mentality) ... fine with me.

But I can get it cheaper in China

Good for you. Seriously, that is not relevant. Most people can't hitch a ride to China to buy products at wholesale.

eBay may be a choice as well, but you most likely are not going to get it in 2 days, and you many times don't know exactly which version they are selling. Do the eBay sellers offer 12 month replacement? Most likely not.

Disclosure

I was asked to review this product. I already had a working solution but agreed to do so. They sent the product free of charge to allow for the review but that had nothing to do with my opinion of what I got, how it was packaged, how it installed for functioned. I am not associated with TechMatte Inc and have no interest in their company. I was certainly not obligated to provide a "good" review.