Add wireless charging to almost any LG G4 without an expensive Quick Circle case for just $15 [Video]

While many flagship smartphones have wireless charging built in as standard, LG opted against it with the G4. Unless you buy the company’s expensive and — in my opinion — unattractive Quick Circle case, you don’t get wireless charging. As always with these kind of problems, there is a solution and all it costs is $15 and a little patience…

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5HSLVcP-mE]

The G4 SlimPWRpatch (pronounced ‘slim power patch’) currently costs $14.99 and adds Qi compatibility to the LG G4, it also works with any model (except the AT&T G4 which uses PMA wireless charging). It doesn’t matter if you have the leather case or standard plastic shell, the PWRpatch works. Fonesalesman notes that the initial process does void your warranty, and it’s easy to see why. The first step in preparing your phone’s rear cover is peeling off the existing NFC sticker. It’s tricky to remove, and clearly designed not to be pulled off. However, it’s very easy to pretend like it never happened.

If a situation arose where you needed your warranty badly, you’d just need to apply a standard non-tampered-with rear cover, and the manufacturer would be none the wiser. After all, it’s just a back cover, not the device itself.

Removing the NFC sticker was easily the most fiddly part of the experience. It’s recommended that you try to remove the entire sticker in one go, gently. Sadly, mine ripped to pieces leaving me needing a knife to remove the conductive coil from the rear cover. Thankfully, it doesn’t really matter how you get the sticker off, as long as it’s all removed, leaving you with a clean plastic surface. As a calming side note: You don’t need to worry about losing NFC functionality, the PWRpatch has it built-in so you get both NFC and Qi compatibility on your phone.

Applying the wireless charging sticker is relatively easy. All you need to do is place it face down on top of the battery, ensuring the gold contact points are positioned on the appropriate contacts on the back of the LG G4. There are a couple of round stickers to hold the patch in place while you check that it works. Once you’re sure it’s aligned correctly, you peel off the protective film, exposing the adhesive before putting the rear cover back on again. Because the case is so tight-fitting, pressing it down ensures that the sticker is then attached to the inside of the cover. Now every time you remove the rear shell, the SlimPWRpatch stays glued to the inside.

Unless you’re someone who removes the case often (to swap out batteries/SIMs/MicroSD cards) you will not even notice that the wireless charging feature you now have is an after-market solution. Using it feels like using a device that has it built-in out-of-the-box. It still has the same frustration of needing to be aligned properly, but it works well in early testing.

If you want wireless charging, and are tempted to give this method a try, you can buy the SlimPWRpatch on Amazon in the US or in the UK for $14.99/£14.99. Fonesalesman also sells a bunch of other wireless charging accessories for other smartphones at very reasonable prices.