Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Like others have stated, “Night time charging”. That’s when I use my wireless charger. And, to be honest I don’t even really need to use it nightly.
 
While I appreciate the technology I find pads too small. Placement is too sensitive meaning that if the phone is slightly off centre it won't charge.

Hence why I don't mind having a cable plugged in over night because after checking the time I can just drop my phone on the rug and not worry about whether it's charging to not.

I want charging pads that are so big I can just drop the phone down without thinking about placement.

Because my new phone has all day battery despite heavy usage and bluetooth headphones, a charging pad at work is not needed as I don't have to think about batter at all.

Anytime I need a quick juice up I can just plug it in flight mode whether at work or anywhere in the house and get 20% extra battery in a brief moment.
 
Its all about convenience however its not designed for everyone. If you find plugging your phone in a better option then do that, its clearly not for you like a lot of options built into the iPhone.

I see wireless chargers all over the place in AirPorts.

shutterstock_615313154.jpg

The convenience in the above pic is that you don't need to pull out a cord and wall adapter.

Wireless charging is also integrated into furniture.

Unknown.jpeg

The convenience in that pic is that you normally wouldn't be plugging your iPhone into an outlet at McDonalds. So you can top off the phone while you eat again without the need of being tethered to plug.

Vehicle integration is an option too.

Screen-Shot-2016-08-26-at-4.30.51-PM-1024x683.png

Just set it down and you don't have to fumble with a cord as the receiver than starts switching from BT to Aux blah blah.

But you can find it built into all sorts of things (lamps is a big one). And you need to keep in mind you don't have to use it. Some people don't use ApplePay, they just use their credit cards and merrily carry on with their lives.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bopajuice
Its all about convenience however its not designed for everyone. If you find plugging your phone in a better option then do that, its clearly not for you like a lot of options built into the iPhone.

I see wireless chargers all over the place in AirPorts.

View attachment 775314

The convenience in the above pic is that you don't need to pull out a cord and wall adapter.

Wireless charging is also integrated into furniture.

View attachment 775315

The convenience in that pic is that you normally wouldn't be plugging your iPhone into an outlet at McDonalds. So you can top off the phone while you eat again without the need of being tethered to plug.

Vehicle integration is an option too.

View attachment 775316

Just set it down and you don't have to fumble with a cord as the receiver than starts switching from BT to Aux blah blah.

But you can find it built into all sorts of things (lamps is a big one). And you need to keep in mind you don't have to use it. Some people don't use ApplePay, they just use their credit cards and merrily carry on with their lives.

All great examples you provided of how wireless charging is integrated into the world around us at airports, restaurants and in vehicles. I think that’s where the convenience really is, is when we don’t want to carry our cables/chargers with us, we can use our phones for places that provide where we can put our phone down briefly for a quick charge, but at home, I have no issue using my wired connection to charge at home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: akash.nu
So... Wireless Charging...

When I say I don’t get itv, I don’t mean I don’t understand the science, I just don’t understand why everyone gets so excited about it!

I mean it’s not really wireless is it... I’m just resting my phone on a pad that is connected to the socket via a wire. Surely this just adds complications and cost???

At the moment I plug my phone into charge, whether it be at home, at work or in the car. I use an inexpensive cable that whilst wear out, do last a good 6-12 months. Whilst charging I can pick my phone up, answer calls (not just on speaker) and even put the phone in what ever draw, cupboard or cup holder the cable will reach. I can play games whilst charging and even rest my phone against the side to watch a video or tv.

With wireless charging it appears to me that whilst your phone is charging, which let’s face it is essential for watching a tv show, FaceTime call or to survive daily duty, your phone is fixed to its wireless pad. If I take it off the wireless pad it stops, meaning I’ll just be draining more battery. If my phone rings I can only keep it charging by using earphones or speakerphone.

I confuses me the way that so many people lost their **** when the old school 3.5mm headphone jack was removed, even when Apple supplied the adaptor in the box to continue using your headphones or you can use a tried and tested Bluetooth system (my personal preference). I haven’t used the headphone jack in years and if I’m honest only caused an area of vulnerability for dust and water.

If wireless charging takes over and the lightening plug is removed we are left with a phone that when charging can’t be picked up! We are left having to carry round expensive wireless pads that are heavier, bulkier than a simple lightening cable and really quite awkward.

Thoughts?
Have you actually tried it out for your phone? I didn't think it would make as big a difference to me as it does but its turned into one of my favorite features of my 8+. No need to fumble for a wire on my bedside table at the end of the night, just place my phone down. Its also just cool in my opinion. We kinda take wifi for granted at this point, but to me this is an important step in lots of big wireless charging applications for humanity in general (read: roads that charge your electric car while driving on it, from the solar power the road gathered while your car wasn't over the panels)
 
Wireless charging is a must for me in the car. I picked up a wireless charger that fits perfectly in the space I put my phone in car just put phone on top of charger. Very handy when using apple car play
 
  • Like
Reactions: 44267547
Wireless charging is a must for me in the car. I picked up a wireless charger that fits perfectly in the space I put my phone in car just put phone on top of charger. Very handy when using apple car play

I agree. But that will be a necessity for my next car is to have a wireless charging unit included. That’s where I *want* the convenience in the car or on when I am mobile in Airports, restaurants/coffee shops, ect, where as I don’t care for wireless charging in my House as much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pnr2020
I agree. But that will be a necessity for my next car is to have a wireless charging unit included. That’s where I *want* the convenience in the car or on when I am mobile in Airports, restaurants/coffee shops, ect, where as I don’t care for wireless charging in my House as much.
Same as me I’ve never used wireless charger in the house
 
  • Like
Reactions: 44267547
It may not be necessary, but I like wireless charging pads. I have the fast charging Samsung stand that I got on
sale when I bought my Samsung S8. I use it for my iPhone too. I just wish Apple had always on display, so I wouldn’t have to pick up the phone to see the time (more convenience).
 
Some great comments and opinions from a lot of people here! The one main advantage I have taken from this thread is when the tech is built into public spaces, this does seem like a useful way of using wireless charging!

One thing that seems evident is that people are picking there phones off the desk using them and putting them straight back on the wireless pad. I’ve always been under the illusion that short charging your battery does long term damage and therefor shortens the overall life. Is this now just a myth or is this convenience having long term battery health effects?
 
Some great comments and opinions from a lot of people here! The one main advantage I have taken from this thread is when the tech is built into public spaces, this does seem like a useful way of using wireless charging!

One thing that seems evident is that people are picking there phones off the desk using them and putting them straight back on the wireless pad. I’ve always been under the illusion that short charging your battery does long term damage and therefor shortens the overall life. Is this now just a myth or is this convenience having long term battery health effects?

No regularly topping up the battery is actually better for Lithium-ion batteries. For older battery technology this would have been the worst thing you can do so it's not a "myth" as such, just something that used to be true but no longer is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: akash.nu and Krabba
If you tip toe into your bedroom at night because your wife/girlfriend is already asleep it's the easiest way to charge without messing around with cords and making noise.

If you have kids who are constantly abusing Lightning cables and breaking them seemingly once a month and requiring constant replacement, wireless charging is a huge convenience.

If you wind up in a Starbucks with just your phone and you hang for a half an hour you can lie the iPhone on a table and pick up a quick charge without having a cable or adapter with you.

That's it. There is nothing more complicated at play here than that. It's a convenience at night, can help you in a quick spot, and saves you money on worn Lightning cables in the long run.
 
I’ve always been under the illusion that short charging your battery does long term damage and therefor shortens the overall life. Is this now just a myth or is this convenience having long term battery health effects?

Not only it’s a myth in the modern era but it’s also detrimental to lithium ion batteries to charge for a long time. Maintaining an average healthy charge between 40% and 80% is the best way forward but if you keep topping up then you’ll use up less charge cycle and the battery will last longer as a whole.
 
I think where a lot of people get mixed up is when we refer to it as “wireless charging”. When it’s anything but wireless, you’re still effectively tethered to a charging device.

We should be referring to it as inductive charging, which is what it actually is, but wireless seems to be the go-to name for the masses.


Anyway, I digress.

While I think that the truly wireless charging tech will be the real game changer when we finally get it. For now I’m more than happy to use inductive charging for its convenience.


I like to be able to plop my phone down in the car, at my desk or on the coffee table without plugging it in.


But as many have already said, nighttime is where I find it most useful. Where before, if I got a late night call, I’d be fumbling around trying to find the cable and stab the Lightning jack into the port.

All while keeping the light off to not disturb the (really grumpy when woken) wife. Now I can easily plonk the phone down onto its charger, without looking, with complete ease.


It’s not the perfect charging solution. It even has drawbacks compared to a cable. Such as not being able to take a call if your battery is basically dead. Where with a cable you get complete use while still charging.


Truly wireless will solve all our problems, including that ugly tangled mess of wires on the desk - certainly my desk. That I’m really looking forward to.
 
For me its not really a big deal but when I get home and just set my phone down to charge and walk away, it just seems like one less step. Convenience nothing more. I like wireless charging.
 
I'd also just add that wireless charging is kind of an improvement from a security standpoint, in a public place. As soon as you have to plug your device into an unknown charging cable, you're potentially at risk because that cable can carry data as well as the power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Krabba
I wireless charge at night while I attempt to sleep. Saves me the trouble of yanking the cord out of the socket, and having to plug in/unplug repeatedly. I just lay the phone on the wireless pad.
 
I wireless charge at night while I attempt to sleep. Saves me the trouble of yanking the cord out of the socket, and having to plug in/unplug repeatedly. I just lay the phone on the wireless pad.

That’s probably the only application I would want wireless charging in my house, is at night next to the bedside where I don’t have to fumble trying to insert the lightning cable into the phone and just have the convenience of setting it down.
 
That’s probably the only application I would want wireless charging in my house, is at night next to the bedside where I don’t have to fumble trying to insert the lightning cable into the phone and just have the convenience of setting it down.
This is why I hope air power it won't matter where you place it as the mophie one while good you have to put it in the right spot for it to charge properly. Which isn't ideal when i put the phone down at night
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shanghaichica
This is why I hope air power it won't matter where you place it as the mophie one while good you have to put it in the right spot for it to charge properly. Which isn't ideal when i put the phone down at night
This is why I’ve stopped using my wireless charger because at night if I pick it up to check something it’s hit or miss whether I put it back in the right place
 
Who needs wireless charging if you're just gonna plug it in an not move it for 8 hours? I'd say that's the most useless reason, personally. I'd much rather have it when I'm sitting at my desk at work, in the car, or on the couch watching tv. Quickly do whatever I want with the phone and put it back down for it to start charging again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: akash.nu
The potential of being able to charge in public is certainly promising, but I've never seen it in real life. Airports are actually one of those places where I want to charge and use my device at the same time, so it's not all that useful there.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.