What is wireless charging?

No matter whether you’ve noticed or not, wireless charging has been changing the ways how we normally charge our phones. 

While, do you know what exactly the wireless charging is? How does it work? And what can we benefit from it? Read on for the answers.

 

What is wireless charging?

Just as the name conveys, it’s a way of charging your phone wirelssly, or without using wires. 

Compared with former phones needing a mains-powered charger to recharge the battery, most phones today supports wireless charging, that is, you just place it on a charging plate or basically a flat mat to replenish the battery instead of plugging something into your phone. 

 

How does wireless charging work?

While talking about wireless charging, what comes into your mind at the first moment? For me, it’s an electric toothbrush. Actually, wireless charging features exactly the same technology. 

As the charging plate contains coils of wire that use the current from the mains to create a magnetic field, so when touching the charging plate, the magnetic field induces an electric current for the mobile inmmediately.

 

What can we benefit from wireless charging?

First benefit, that surely comes to convenience, especially when having to charge a phone, you should getting down on your hands and knees to find an available plug socket. (Why Not Have a Portable Power Bank?)

Secondly, wireless charging, to some extent, means less wear and tear for your phone, as you’re not regularly plugging in a cable and yanking it out. 

And lastly, it’s more eco-friendly. Because when your phone is fully charged, the power mat switches off at the same time, in contrast to standard plug chargers drainning power from the mains even your phone hits 100% charge. 

 

No downsides?

Firstly, wireless charging technology is slower and more expensive than using a traditional Portable Charger.

Secondly, to the moment, most smartphones and tablets are only compatible with specific charging plates. It’s not that convenient in some cases. 

 

Which devices can charge wirelessly?

Not standard yet, only for some specific smartphones on the market. For example, Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G3, Nokia Lumia 925, etc. 

While, it’s pity that temporarily no iPhones support wireless charging.

 

Extra accessories?

Yes, at least, at the time. 

It’s rare that a phone-maker will bundle a wireless charger with a phone. So before you buy, it’s better to research whether a phone supports wireless charging, and which charging plates it works with. 

 

What about out and about?

In the UK, about 50 McDonald’s restaurants and 10 Starbucks cafes are equipped to let customers charge their phones wirelessly.

Starbucks uses the Powermat Ring tech we described above, while at McDonalds, you’ll need a phone with wireless charging built in.

 

Wireless charging xpectations in the future

No matter whether you believe or not, I believe, one day, all our furnitures will support wirelss charging. When you wanna juice up something, just put it on. 

And this technology will undoubtedly be compatible to tablets and laptops. 

And when we’re out, wireless charging is wireless and boundless.