LG G3 Quick Circle Qi Wireless Charging Cover review

I recently upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to a LG G3 smartphone. Having reviewing the LG G2 last year, I was expecting the G3 to have Qi charging capability right out of the box. I was really disappointed when I found out that this would not be the case with the US versions of the LG G3. Only the international version of this phone comes with a back cover that has Qi charging capability. One solution to this problem is the LG G3 Quick Circle Qi Wireless Charging Case. MobileFun sent me one to review, let’s take a look.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

The LG G3 Quick Circle Qi Wireless Charging Case is a folio style case that completely replaces the back cover of the LG G3. The new cover combines NFC and Qi charging. The case comes in black, white or gold. I was sent the white version to review. The cover is made of plastic with very fine lined texture that provides great grip.

As you can see from the image above, the Quick Circle cover has four electrical contacts instead of just two like the stock cover. Be aware that this cover will NOT work with AT&T’s version of the LG G3, which is not Qi compatible. The AT&T version uses a different wireless charging standard that is compatible with Powermat chargers.

To use the Quick Circle case, you have to remove the G3’s back cover and then snap the Quick Circle cover in its place.

The case protects the back of the phone and provides a book-style cover for the front of the phone. The Quick Circle cover gets its name from the fact that it has a circular cutout in the front.

The plastic cover doesn’t add much in the way of bulk to the phone and the cover easily folds behind the phone and out of the way when you don’t need it. The circular opening even allows access to the power and volume buttons on the back of the phone when the cover is in this orientation.

This cover has three main features other than protecting the phone. First of all, it will automatically wake or sleep the phone when you open or close the cover.

Just like with the Apple iPad’s smart covers, this cover has a magnet built into it that activates a switch on the phone when open or closed. The location of the magnet is shown in the image above.

As long as the Quick Circle feature is enabled in the phone’s settings, opening and closing the cover will wake / sleep the phone.

The second feature of this cover is special Quick Circle area of the screen. When the cover is closed, you can double tap that area to see the time. You can then swipe the clock to view a quick launch ring of icons. These icons/apps can be customized. Check out this quick video that shows how the Quick Circle works:

And then there’s the feature that I looked forward to the most… Qi charging.

With the Quick Circle cover in place, I was able to charge the LG G3 with a Nokia DT910 charging dock and with a TYLT VU wireless charger.  I was also happy to discover that with the cover folded under the phone, that it charges just fine.

The LG G3 Quick Circle Qi Wireless Charging Cover is well made, provides some screen protection, Qi charging and a fun circular display with the cover closed. I like this cover quite a bit but am looking forward to the Slim Guard case which has the same snap-on back cover and Qi charging feature, minus the folio cover. The flip cover gets in the way when I use the phone in my car and I don’t really need a cover to protect the display because I have installed a glass screen protector.

All that said, if you’re looking for a Qi charging capability for your LG G3, the LG G3 Quick Circle Qi Wireless Charging Cover is currently your only option until the Slim Guard case becomes available. If you want the added functionality of the Quick Circle menu and screen protection, you’ll enjoy this case.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by MobileFun. Please visit their site for more info about the full line of Quick Circle cases for the LG G3.