One old Samsung accessory I nearly threw away—the EP-T1300 wireless charging pad—has become unexpectedly useful with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. I bought the charger about a year after Samsung released it around the Galaxy S22 lineup, and it had been resting in a drawer until I recently tried it again.
Why the EP-T1300 struggled with other Samsung phones
I stopped using the EP-T1300 shortly after buying it because its internal wireless charging coil doesn’t line up with the coil in the Galaxy S22+ and other Galaxy S Plus models unless the phone is rotated at an odd angle or rested on its camera hump. That misalignment required too much fiddling to get a secure connection, and the pad’s 9W charging speed already felt slow. The charger also isn’t compatible with Galaxy Watches, which removed another reason to keep it plugged in.
EP-T1300 and Galaxy Z Fold 8: an accidental pairing
The Galaxy Z Fold 8, however, changed that. Because the Fold 8 and its camera hump are shorter than usual, the phone can lie perfectly flat on the EP-T1300 and achieve a stable wireless connection without the camera bump getting in the way. Of the Samsung phones I’ve tried with this charger, none worked better than the Fold 8.
While 9W charging is slow for most situations, that slower rate is actually useful overnight and can be better for long-term battery health if you charge the phone while you sleep. With the EP-T1300 on my nightstand, I can keep the Fold 8 partly unfolded as a night clock, glance at the time or notifications without lifting a finger or my head, and wake up to a fully charged phone.
It’s unlikely Samsung designed the Fold 8 with this old charger in mind, but the two products work well together by accident.
