Wireless charging "range"

[21TonyK]

I know absolutely nothing about this and can only go on what I read on Amazon specs...

Looking for a charger I can use on iPhone 11 onwards for wireless charging in a car. The complication being this is an old mini and I'm looking to cut the charger up and mount it hidden in the centre console under a couple of mm of plastic which the phone would sit on, potentially in a case with a further gap of a few mm underneath due to the shape of the panel.

So, question is how close does the phone have to be to the charger? will it work through a couple of mm of plastic, a case and an air gap of 3-4mm?

[Scabutz]

I don't have an iPhone but just checked my Samsung S20. I have a wireless charging rest. I put a 5mm thick sheet of perspex in front of it and rested the phone on. Started charging. I lifted it away slightly and it was still charging. So I think you should be OK. Just try to keep the gaps as mimall as possible.

[Forester1965]

I have an 'official' wireless charge pad in a Cupra Formentor thingy. if I put my Samsung S23 on it in its official case for any length of time it gets *very* hot (to the point of the phone putting up warnings and shutting down apps in an attempt to cool down.

Might be worth considering what's going to be around the charge pad under the plastic.

[21TonyK]

Thanks both. Sounds like it may work okay but a very good point about the heat build up. Need to mock it up and test before a proper install.