Convenient but useless — why you don't need wireless charging

In a world where "wireless" has long been a trend, many rightly expect smartphones and other devices to also become completely "free" of cables. However, in the case of wireless charging, not everything is so rosy. It does not always meet expectations and can be much less convenient than it seems at first glance.

How-To Geek writes about the main reasons for it.

Wireless Charging Is Still Incredibly Slow

The idea of ​​simply placing your smartphone on a special pad and picking it up at any moment sounds appealing. However, this convenience loses its meaning when the phone takes too long to charge. The Qi2 standard provides up to 15W of power, which is three times more than the original Qi, but it is not comparable to current wired methods.

For example, some manufacturers already offer charging at more than 100W, and even smartphones with large batteries (such as 6,000 mAh) can charge to 50% in about 13 minutes, and a full cycle takes about half an hour. In comparison, 15W seems slow and inconvenient for those who need speed "here and now."

Wired Charging Is Far More Energy-Efficient

When charging via a cable, almost all the energy goes directly to the battery. However, wireless energy transfer occurs through several layers (the charging station housing, the smartphone case, glass or plastic), so additional losses occur. It means that wireless charging at the same power will be less efficient and will charge the smartphone longer, consuming more electricity.

More Heat Can Damage the Battery

Heat is one of the main enemies of a battery. Since "wireless" charging is less efficient, some of the unused energy is dissipated as heat. Over time, this can accelerate battery wear.

In fast wired charging, manufacturers already use various tricks to reduce heat: they divide the battery into two smaller parts, use special components, and add cooling systems. In the world of wireless charging, such solutions are implemented much less, so the problem of overheating does not lose its relevance.

Wireless Chargers Are Not Economical

Another point is savings. A regular high-quality USB-C cable can be found for a little more than a couple of hundred hryvnias, while certified Qi devices cost significantly more. If you add the cost of the power supply to this, the amount increases. In addition, the cable that goes from the outlet to the wireless charging panel often does not have a strong braid and can wear out faster.

Many people talk about "real" wireless charging, when the device receives energy literally through the air, you just have to enter the room. Companies are already experimenting with such developments, but serial and safe use is still far away. So far, "wireless" charging actually requires a wired connection of the panel to the outlet and does not solve many of the problems characteristic of conventional charging.

As a reminder, some modern smartphones can charge other devices using reverse charging. It is supported by most Android smartphones, as well as some iPhones.

We also wrote that chargers on the market vary greatly in price, sometimes even by dozens of times. Usually, a more expensive device will have a better impact on the health of your smartphone's battery, but it's not always worth overpaying.