Charging is done usually through a charging port and even though it’s still very common to use a charging cable to charge your smartphone, wireless charging is a type of charging that is steadily rising. A more mainstream term for wireless charging is called Qi Charging.
What is Qi Charging?
Qi charging is done through wireless energy that is sent from a charging pad to a device without the need of wires going into the smartphone. Also known as Inductive charging, Qi charging is done through an electromagnetic field that uses two main points for wireless charging to work.
The first point is the Primary coil, the Primary coil is the wireless charging pad itself, that a smartphone would lay on to charge. The Secondary coil is the smartphone that receives the energy from the Primary coil and is able to send energy to the Secondary coil because the electromagnetic field is a kind of catalyst for energy to be sent through.
What makes wireless charging better?
Wireless charging is better in some ways but it’s important to remember that they accomplish the same thing that chargers do overall, they charge.
Wireless chargers don’t require the use of any wires to be used on the phone. This means that the cables for smartphones no longer need to be used; Micro USB, Lightning, USB Type-C and basically any other cable meant for charging purposes becomes irrelevant because the charging is done wireless manner. With there being no charging cables, the fear of a damaged cable is non-existent. The only cable that is used for wireless charging is the cable that the wireless charger uses to connect into an outlet.
Is my phone compatible with Qi Charging?
Unfortunately, not all phone are compatible with Qi charging because many phones still do not have the Secondary coil implemented within them to receive a charge from a wireless charging pad.
However, Qi enabled devices are rising with current smartphones and the fact is, newer phones will most certainly be able to undergo Qi charging.
Is Qi Charging faster than wired charging?
Overall wireless charging is simply not faster than wired charging. Qi Charging can really go on a high at a current of 1.5A and that’s not really the standard anymore. Currently, the standard is more of a 2.0A current with normal charging.
If you’re searching for fast charging with Qi charging, then you need to look more towards wired ways of charging such as Smart tech and Quick Charge because currently, wireless charging does not charge as fast as wired charging.
What are the negative sides of Qi Charging?
Wireless charging overall is not very friendly when it comes to charging and using a device. This is because when you place a device onto a charging pad, it has to stay on the pad to charge; Mobilizing the device is not an option and using a device while it’s on a pad is an inconvenience due to it laying flat on a surface.
However, there are wireless chargers that do try to make it more viable to use a device while it’s wirelessly charging:
The Spigen Qi Charger is such an example that allows the use of a phone while it’s undergoing wireless charging because the charger is at an angle and therefore allows the use of a phone at the same time as wireless charging is taking place.
Other chargers that make wireless charging a more viable option are wireless charging battery cases, it’s not quite the same as charging a device directly, but charging a battery case in a wireless way holds its merits.
The company, Mophie, specializes in charging technology and most importantly their main focus is on battery cases. Mophie has developed a new technology they call Charge Force which is basically wireless charging for battery cases. This means that wireless charging is not happening to the phone itself but the battery case and the battery case is charging the phone. Charge Force is a really neat kind of tech because this means there are two main pieces that are receiving power at all times: The battery case and the phone.
Charge Force wireless charging also enables the battery case to be magnetic towards the charging pad, this allows for the charging pad to be placed on car air vents for GPS usage while you charge your battery case and as your battery case charges your phone. The charging pad can also be used as a stand since the battery case and charging pad are magnetic, it makes it quite versatile with the way the charger can be placed.
Ultimately having a battery case that is charged through wireless means is an amazing way to truly be at 100% battery power because everything is being charged at once.
Wireless charging is now being created as a base way for charging some devices, an example of this would be the Apple Watch. The Apple watch uses a Magnetic charging cable, nothing is actually inserted into the Apple Watch to charge it; Instead, the magnetic charger latches onto the back of the watch to charge. The magnetic charger is just like any other charging cable, though, in the way that it’s designed, it has a USB port end and the other head is the charging piece which is the circular magnetic charger.
This kind of charging is truly innovative not only in the wireless charging space but also for charging cables in general. Yes, this kind of charging uses a cable and people may argue that it’s not truly wireless but the charger is not actually going into the device, the charger is simply on the device to charge it; The same way a phone can lay down on a wireless charger pad to charge.
Cable/Wireless charging crossover is definitely something that the smartphone industry leaders should think about because there’s really no wear and tear when it comes to chargers that are able to just latch onto a device and charge. All that’s needed is a strong head charging base for the charger to withstand movement and this way the actual charging head doesn’t wear down with use.
This kind of chargers still does allow for use of wearable devices even when they’re charging as well, which is why it would make sense to possibly implement them into smartphones.
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Since 2016, Usman has flourished as an independent tech journalist, reveling in the evaluation of diverse tech gadgets, with a particular fondness for charging technology to ascertain product performance. Besides his journalistic endeavors, he helms the Charger Harbor YouTube channel, where he extends his tech insights to a broader audience.