We tried Samsung’s UV steriliser with wireless charger, but does it actually work?

Samsung’s UV light sterilisation box uses UV light to kill germs on a device while also charging your phone.

Put your smartphone inside the box, close the lid, and it starts cleaning.

Every time I come back home from my evening walk, the first thing I do is to sterilise my iPhone 11. It has become a daily ritual in these testing times, but instead of using a microfiber cloth I now use Samsung’s UV light sterilisation device. This lunch box-style device uses UV light to kill germs on a device while also charging your phone, because it doubles up as a wireless charger.

But is this solution actually worth the money? Here’s what we found after testing Samsung’s UV steriliser box for a week.

But before I tell you more about Samsung’s UV steriliser box, first understand UV-C disinfection lightning.

UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that comes from the sun and transmitted in waves. But it is possible to create UV light artificially by special bulbs. There are three types of UV radiation — UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C, of which UV-C has the smallest wavelengths (180-280nm) and is good at destroying micro-organisms. This is why UV-C has been used in hospitals for sterilisation purposes for years now.

My Unlock survival kit: Three things to fight Covid-19, and pandemic paranoias

The Samsung UV Steriliser box looks like a lunch box

At first, Samsung’s UV steriliser box could be mistaken as a lunch box. It comes in a cream white colour and is big enough to fit any phone. Once you open the lid, both left and right sides of the UV steriliser box features the ultraviolet bulbs. A good thing about this box is that there is a wireless charger built-in in the center to charge up your phone inside. Samsung includes a USB-C to USB-A cable in the box, but does not include a wall charger.

Put your smartphone inside the box, close the lid, and it starts cleaning. You will, of course, have to push the circular button on the front towards the right side on the UV light steriliser. Upon pressing the button, you will hear a single beep and a green light that indicates the cleaning session has begun. After 10 minutes, the light goes off and the device beeps it twice – indicating the session is now over.

Does UV light kill bacteria?

UV-C light can be used for disinfection and sterilisation, though its effectiveness against Covid-19 is not yet clear. Even the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recently confirmed this. That said, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine tend to believe that UV-C light should be effective against coronavirus that causes MERS. Samsung meanwhile says the UV light Sanitiser kills up to 99 per cent bacteria.

The Samsung UV Steriliser box also works a wireless charger

You can also use Samsung’s UV Steriliser box as a wireless charger. It is a nice feature to have, but I am disappointed that the wireless charger is not fast. And the reason for slow charging is that the device can only do a 10W of wireless charging. Just open the lid of the box, keep your phone in the box, and the Qi-charger starts wireless charging your phone. Most of my devices worked with the UV Sanitiser including the iPhone 11, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy S20 FE.

Should you buy it?

If you are finicky as I am with germs and bacteria on my phone, I think you should get Samsung’s UV Steriliser box. It’s easy to set up and works with a variety of products including a smartwatch, AirPods, phones and even sunglasses. Though there is no way to tell whether the UV Steriliser box actually works, from what Samsung claims the device is capable of killing up to 99 per cent of charms. I don’t mind paying Rs 3,599 for a device that disinfects my phone and saves me from the coronavirus pandemic