[avi8tir]

I don't use it much. But I forgot to charge my phone last night so I put it in the tray for a 2 hour and 30 minute drive. I've had my suspicions in the past that it doesn't work well so I double and triple checked that it was actually charging.

2 hours and 30 minutes - 30% to 43% and the phone was about 1000 degrees.

Does it really suck that bad or is mine malfunctioning?

Iphone XS Max

[M5 F90 (2018)]

I have found mine also takes time. 3 hour journey and yup would not be fully charged yet. Plus as you say bloody hot!!

[bradleyjs]

Ive had better results by hooking up a Lightning cable to the USB port in the center armrest. But, I still prefer using the tray because it’s quickly accessible vs having it in the armrest. I always keep a microfiber towel on the armrest to prevent my body oils etc from staining the leather and the towel just gets in the way when driving to gain access to the armrest contents.

[Nikolov]

Mine charges pretty quick and doesn't heat up. Maybe you have a thick case on the phone or something? Not sure if/how that affects charging, my phone doesn't have a case.

[roller84]

Mine heats up pretty badly too, to the point that my phone starts crawling and barely works. Same results with or without case. I have an iPhone 10 XS. Really a annoyed by it. Had the same issue with an X4 loaner I drove for a day though I didn't try it without the case.

[Vic55]

It charges too slow and I have the new Note 10 Plus that can take a 45w charge- It probably charges at 5w LOL. I never use it and instead using 3.0 cigarette charging unit.

[windtendo]

BMW should really just call it a battery "maintainer" not a charger. It allows you to use all of the phone's features while driving (Music, GPS, etc.) all while keeping your phone from draining...

[bradleyjs]

Originally Posted by windtendo

BMW should really just call it a battery "maintainer" not a charger. It allows you to use all of the phone's features while driving (Music, GPS, etc.) all while keeping your phone from draining...

ROFL I think you’re correct!

[kdeleon]

I have been playing around with the charging as some times my phone charges rather quickly while other times it doesn't go much up at all. Some things I have tried and observations:

• I've tried moving it around to see if there are spots that line up and charge better. So far not much difference.
• I think CarPlay uses quite a bit of power. I have left my phone in the car and walked away for a few minutes and will see the phone charge up quite a bit in that time. Much quicker than when it is connected (regardless if I'm using CarPlay on the screen or not).
• Mine iPhone hasn't gotten hot. I've used my S9 on the charger when I was playing a movie and the charger stopped when it got too hot. So I wondering if the phone is stopping the charging for others when it gets to a certain temp.

What else have you seen?

[ST3]

When I am using Waze my charger keeps the battery maintained / slightly charging. If just driving and listening to music (Waze app closed). I get a decent charge out of the phone while I the tray. Also have 10s max.

[Hockeytyme]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S10. Driving while using Spotify with the phone in the tray basically just keeps the battery the same. Same goes for my "official" Samsung wireless charger it home. It works but it's much slower than a USB or Wall charger

[shwaara]

Usually, I use waze and spotify. After 3 hrs the baterry is still at the same %, so it is just maintained. BUT the phone (iP 12 Pro) gets so overheated that it turns off!! So no waze and no music until it cools down. Pretty annoying.

[irablumberg]

I did a drive using Waze and listening to RadioParadise through the phone on CarPlay. I had the phone (iPhone 12 Pro Max) in the center console connected to a MagSafe charging disk plugged into the USB port in the center console.

The phone didn't even get warm. It did charge while playing.

Less convenient, but lots more reliable.

[Jacob_Tyler_Freed]

Originally Posted by avi8tir

I don't use it much. But I forgot to charge my phone last night so I put it in the tray for a 2 hour and 30 minute drive. I've had my suspicions in the past that it doesn't work well so I double and triple checked that it was actually charging.

2 hours and 30 minutes - 30% to 43% and the phone was about 1000 degrees.

Does it really suck that bad or is mine malfunctioning?

Iphone XS Max

Keep in mind wireless charging take longer and produces more heat than plug in charging.

Also, inductive car chargers take longer because their watt output is much lower than a household plug.

The wireless charging is really just a place to keep your phone safe in the car and give it a few extra percent, as well as the place for the car to recognize the digital key.