The question is ... should you risk the water resistance and put up with that unsightly bulge?
The Samsung Galaxy S5, sadly, does not come with wireless charging out of the box. The good news is that Samsung has a couple of options available — we've already taken a look at the official Galaxy S5 wireless charging back, as well as the Wireless S-View Flip Cover.
But you can't go hunting around for these weird little inserts, these "blue wireless receiver cards" that fit between the battery and the battery cover. It's basically just a Qi coil, controller board and contacts for phone — a surprisingly simple answer for just a few dollars.
But of course there's a catch.
Adding wireless charging while putting pressure on the stock cover might not be the best of ideas.
First off, wireless charging almost always means a little extra thickness. And instead of a little extra uniform thickness, you end up with an unsightly bulge in your phone. Plus you're adding a little extra pressure to the stock case — and that worries us a little bit, be it because of the extra force you're exerting on the phone's removable back, or for the unintended stress you'll be putting on the IP67 water resistance rating.
This is also an unofficial product, meaning that Samsung's not backing it. You break, you buy.
We asked Samsung to weigh in on this little guy —specifically in regards to keeping IP67 rating — and it declined, simply noting that it recommends the official Wireless Charging Cover.
So you have to ask yourself: Is a $10 charging solution really worth it? If you're not really worried about that IP67 rating, and you're not worried about that unsightly bulge, and you're not worried about using an unsupported accessory, then, well, maybe. As for us, we're not going to recommend risking your $700 phone (more or less) on a $10 wireless accessory. If you want the real thing, we suggest sticking with the official accessories.
