Some people will scoff, but I love wireless charging. Not having to plug a micro USB cable into my phone every time I need to top off the battery is a hassle, when wireless charging is an alternative. Once you’ve experienced the luxury of simply placing your device on a flat charging pad or a dock, you’ll be forever spoiled. Luckily more and more phone manufacturers are starting to add Qi charging to their devices. One of the newest wireless charger that I’ve had the opportunity to try, is the Elite CE700 Wireless Charging Stand from ADATA.
Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.
Package contents
CE700 Wireless Charging Stand
USB cable
User guide
The feature that sets the CE700 apart from other wireless chargers that we’ve looked at here on The Gadgeteer, is that this one can be used flat…
Or converted into a stand like you see above. The shiny black plastic charging portion of the CE700, does not snap into the metal cover. It just rests inside and is held by friction. The included USB cable connects to the charger and then into a free USB port on your PC or Mac. You can also plug it into a USB AC adapter if you happen to have one laying around.
In the flat orientation, the CE700 rests inside a brushed aluminum shell that has neon green rubber feet that prevent it from sliding around on a table.
I tested the CE700 with three devices, a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with a 3rd party Qi patch, a Nexus 7 2013 tablet and a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Samsung’s wireless charging cover.
I quickly learned that the CE700 works best when used in the stand orientation. When using it flat, it requires you to pay attention to how you place the device on the charger. There seems to be sweet spot for each device and that can mean that the device needs to be placed further back or forward instead of perfectly centered on the charger. So it becomes a little too fiddly for my liking.
When used in the stand orientation, there’s no need to adjust placement. Just set it on the stand and you’re done. At least that was my experience with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, S3 and Nexus 7 tablet.
Now we come a few other gripes that I have about the CE700. First of all, I don’t like the USB connector placement. It is located on the right side instead of the back. That means the cable gets in the way as you can see above. You also have to unplug the cable when changing from stand to flat orientations.
Another issue is the status LED that is built into the charger. It’s located in the upper left corner. You can see it in the image above, it’s green. The location isn’t really a problem, it’s the fact that it blinks during charging. Typically you wouldn’t see the LED because the charging device is covering it. But, if you use the charger in your bedroom, it’s possible that you’ll notice the blinking light in the middle of the night. Just something to be aware of.
Last but not least is that the charger will slide around on the table when you’re using it in the stand orientation. There are no rubber feet to prevent it from moving around like there is in the flat orientation.
Now on the good side is that the CE700 has over voltage and over heat protection. It can charge your device up to 28% faster than charging it with the USB cable connected directly to the phone. I didn’t do any real testing with this claim, but did notice that it seemed to take considerably less time to top off the charge on the devices I tested with this wireless charger.
The ADATA Elite CE700 Wireless Charging Stand performs its intended task well. It offers two ways to charge and can charge quicker than by cable alone. If the issues I mentioned don’t bother you, this charger is a relatively inexpensive way to try Qi wireless charging (if your device supports it). Trust me, once you try it, you’ll never go back to the old way of charging.
Product Information
| Price: | $39.99 |
| Manufacturer: | ADATA |
| Retailer: | Amazon |
| Requirements: |
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Hi Julie. I have an S3 with the Qi insert underneath the battery door (I don’t think Samsung’s door will fit in my case). It works great on my Qi pad but, on every stand that I’ve tried, it turns off when charged, then turns on a few minutes later, then off, then on, etc….
Apparently this is a common bug but, it seems to be an incompatibility with only specific stands, since I don’t have that problem with the pad.
Can (did) you test your S3 to full charge and then some (for example, overnight charging) and, if so, does it behave as I’ve described?
I’ve been avoiding the Tylt Vu because their FAQ mentions this behavior on an S4, so I’m going under the impression that the same holds true for the S3 (have you seen this on your Vu?).
Thanks for the all the great reviews over the years; While I don’t comment on the site regularly, I read it every day!
@Brian I have the Qi insert for my Note 2, not the S3. With my Tylt and the Note 2, it does come on when it’s fully charged. Then it turns off and doesn’t do it again. I’ve not noticed it doing this with my Note 2 and the ADATA, but I’ll do another test now and report back.
@Brian my Note 2 with a Qi patch did turn on when it reached a 100% charge.
Thanks so much Julie!
AFAIK, the screen is supposed to turn on when the charge reaches 100% (at least the Samsung’s do).
My problem is that it then comes on a few minutes later, when the charge drops to 98% or so… then again at 100%, into an endless loop.
Not a big deal, except I already have some burn-in on my screen from it (I’ve since stopped using the stand). It also makes a sound every time it starts and stops, which is quite distracting.
Presuming they both don’t exhibit this behavior, do you have a preference between the Vu and the ADATA?
Other than price and looks, are there any major pros/cons to either?
Thanks again….
@Brian I have seen that type of behavior with the Nokia DT910 charging dock, the Galaxy S3 and a Qi patch. But, I’ve not had that problem with the Note 2 and a Qi patch. All I’ve noticed is that it turns on when it gets to 100% that first time. I’ve not noticed it turning on / off multiple times after that. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t. It’s just that I’ve never noticed it. I have the TYTL next to my bed, so I do see it turn on that first time because I’m usually still awake when it does it. But I’ve not noticed it waking me up any other times during the night. I think I would notice because it also plays a little tune when it starts charging.
My preference between all the chargers I’ve reviewed so far is that I like the TYTL best. It has a perfect USB cable placement, perfect LED charge status placement, looks great and works every single time. It also comes in different colors 🙂
You’ve just described it exactly…. I wonder though if the S3 with the patch behaves differently than the Note 2 with the patch.
I guess I’ll have to do some more trial and error; Luckily Amazon is good about returns! 😉
Thanks so much for your help (including helping me spend my money)!
Have a great weekend.
Just found this on Amazon in the Q&A section for the Tylt Vu (someone specifically asked about the problem) –
There was an issue with the device and it has been addressed. If you purchased it with the issue, all you have to do is call customer support and they will send you a replacement. I was one of the original backers of the project and they just sent me a new replacement (they finally fixed it). It works great now. No more waking me up at night.
I guess now we know!
I think it has something to do with the S3 and the patch I was using. With Samsung’s official charging cover, I don’t have any problems.
That’s what makes me nervous…. I have the same patch you had.
IIRC, Samsung’s official cover makes the unit slightly thicker… just enough to stop fitted cases from fitting.
Yes, the Samsung cover is slightly thicker. I don’t use a case, so I don’t mind…
This is a really nice design, but could be better. In my opinion, the stand should be able to adjust the angle so that it can meet any kind of usage. And i hope the pad is big enough to work with Nexus 7 2013.
@Johnson as stated in my review, I tested this with a Nexus 7 2013. So yes, the pad is big enough. It works best in upright/stand mode though.
HI Julie.
From the pictures, it looks like the ADATA is about the length of the S3… Is that correct?
How does it compare (in length) to the TYLT VU? (Tylt’s specs say it is 7.5 inches long, but that seems a little excessive).
Thanks!
@Brian Yes, the ADATA is about the same length as the S3. I don’t have the TYLT VU in front of me right now, so I am not sure how it compares in length. I’ll check tonight.
BTW: if you’d like the ADATA, I can send it your way. Just email me your shipping address.