Wireless charging - do you use it?

[v-600]

I was just wondering whether many people actually use wireless charging for their mobile devices. I was looking at the nexus charging pad but to me the tech seems too immature/limited at the moment.

I want it to work, but at the moment I can't see the point in putting my phone on a charging pad that is plugged into the wall when I could just plug my phone directly in to the charger. For me to consider it a must have feature I want to charge my phone on my coffee table at least 1.5m from the nearest plug and with no wires running to my table.

 

[Canbacon]

Yup, I am running wireless charging with my Lumia 920. I have 3 setup, one at work one at my computer desk at home and one by the couch. All of them are stands so they are easier to see when notifications come in.

The nice thing about the wireless charging is that you don't realize how annoying plugging in the charge cable is, especially when it is dark (late nights from work ). Also, it makes it easier to have the phone always topped up as you just plop the phone on the stand when you sit down just like dropping the phone on the desk.

If you get the pads and are into DIY projects, people have been modding them into furniture. There are some pretty interesting ones out there.

I agree that wireless charging is a mess right now as there are 3 (?) standards competing with each other. qI, PMA and A4WP. Hopefully the new broadcom chip will change that (http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=s850858).

 

[zerocool84]

It's too expensive for me. Sure it's more convenient to be able to easily just put on my devices to charge but I don't think it's worth it over the $2 cable.

 

[Fox5]

They're too slow. What's the point of a charger that takes 8 hours to charge and can't charge as fast as the phone drains if the screen is on?

 

[Viper GTS]

They're too slow. What's the point of a charger that takes 8 hours to charge and can't charge as fast as the phone drains if the screen is on?

They don't take 8 hours:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...udget-wireless-charger-showdown-5-qi-t2676249

They aren't quite as fast as a good USB charger but the convenience more than makes up for it.

Additionally, as the link shows there are plenty of low cost chargers out there. Yes when the first widely adopted Qi device came out (Nexus 4) they were hard to come by and expensive. When I finally managed to catch some in stock I paid ~$50 apiece for them. But that's no longer the case, and a comparison of a $2 cable that does nothing by itself is slightly disingenuous. A more fair comparison would be a quality 2A+ USB charger and cable vs the same charger and a Qi pad.

Honestly those that bash it have probably never used it. I'm on my 4th wireless charging phone now (Palm Pre, then 3 Qi compatible Android phones) and it's a major factor in my selection of a new device - I won't buy one that isn't capable of wireless charging.

Viper GTS

 

[Kanalua]

Nexus 5. Have a wireless charger at home (on the nightstand) and on my desk at work. Works great. Charges fast.

 

[vshah]

yep, have a nexus orb on my desk at work and on my nightstand. use it with the nexus 5. missed it while i had the HTC one in between the n4 and n5.

 

[paperwastage]

I use wireless charging at work. need to walk around often for meetings, talk to other people, easier to skip the wire-plugging step (plus wear&tear)

typically don't charge at home, will use wired if needed

 

[notposting]

Have a Lumia 928, and 3 wireless chargers for it.

3 more on the way from AT&T, they cost a whole $11.25 shipped.

Don't understand why anyone would prefer plugging in, you may as well prefer rotary phones and 640KB of RAM in your DOS machines, you Luddites.

Easy, fast, and as mentioned, you can get creative and actually incorporate it into furniture if you want. Plan to use a couple of the new ones this way.

 

[Anubis]

no I don't use it
I have no idea if my phone supports it

don't really care plugging it in is pretty easy. I get charging cables for free from work, currently have a bin at work with about 1000 of them in it

 

[ponyo]

I love it. I have two wireless charging docks for the HP Touchpad and it makes it so convenient to charge. We also have two Nokia charge pads which we use for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 5. I ordered two more Nokia charge pad and pillow from AT&T for $5 each. At that price, it is crazy not to have multiple charging pads around the house.

 

[v-600]

Hmmm, I might have a reconsider. It seems like 7:3 at the mo are for it. Maybe I am underestimating its usefulness.

 

[Red Storm]

As wired charging gets faster and faster, I just don't feel the need to buy into wireless.

Perhaps when I can be assured that I when a buy a charger it will work with just about every model out there (present and future devices too) then maybe I will get a few to put around the house.

 

[pmark]

Any links to cheap charging pads? Wireless charging to so convenient!

 

[Oyeve]

Only for my Philips toothbrush.

 

[WelshBloke]

Don't understand why anyone would prefer plugging in,

I can still use my phone in my hand when it's plugged in and I don't particularly find it any more convenient placing a phone onto a wireless charging cradle over placing the USB plug in the socket.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I would need to buy a new back cover for $20, then find a supported wireless charging pad for $40-$50. My phone only cost $84.

All so I don't have to plug in a cable once per day.

No thanks.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Can't use it on my S3. Would have gotten a wireless charging kit for it but I read that it adds bulk. I can't handle an additional iota of bulk on any phone, so thats out. Anyways, I'd definitely use it if it were built in.

Can you wireless charge in a car? I don't see any reason why not, but noone has mentioned it here. Car charging in general is slower, would the wireless car charging be even slower?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Nexus 5. Have a wireless charger at home (on the nightstand) and on my desk at work. Works great. Charges fast.

Same here.

 

[pmark]

Can't use it on my S3. Would have gotten a wireless charging kit for it but I read that it adds bulk. I can't handle an additional iota of bulk on any phone, so thats out. Anyways, I'd definitely use it if it were built in.

Can you wireless charge in a car? I don't see any reason why not, but noone has mentioned it here. Car charging in general is slower, would the wireless car charging be even slower?

I have a S3 and it didn't add any bulk to it. I just bought a $20 charging pad (i heard that there are cheaper ones) and a wireless charging "sticker" for the battery. The sticker fits into the OEM backplate and it fits into my existing case. The charging pad just plugs into a usb cable so it will work with a normal usb car charger.

 

[MrSquished]

I have a nice 6ft micro usb cable next to my bed, on my desk and near my couch - all plugged into the wall - so wherever I am I have an easy way to charge with lots of room in the cable to still use the phone.

See no need for wireless just yet.

 

[Nebor]

I have one on my desk at work, one by the couch in the living room, and one on my bedroom dresser. It's so much easier just to sit the phone down on the pad rather than spending a frustrating minute to a minute and a half trying to figure out whether the phone is upside down or not, get ahold of the cable, make sure that the cable is facing the right direction and stick it in.

I was recently at a bar that had it built into the bartop, which was very cool. Eliminates the situation where you lose your friends because someone's phone died.

 

[Zaap]

No real use for it.

 

[tsupersonic]

Wireless charging is awesome, mostly because I love the convenience. When I was using Android, I had the Nexus 5, and I picked up the Google Nexus wireless charger (which I also use for the Nexus 7), and another noname brand wireless charger (for the nightstand). Whenever I was at my desk, I would just place the phone on the charging dock. One of the things I miss most from Android (forced into using iPhone).

It's one of those technologies that once you get used to it, it becomes difficult to go back to doing it the "old way."

 

[WelshBloke]

It's so much easier just to sit the phone down on the pad rather than spending a frustrating minute to a minute and a half trying to figure out whether the phone is upside down or not, get ahold of the cable, make sure that the cable is facing the right direction and stick it in.

Even at my drunkest I doubt it takes me longer than 3 or 4 seconds to plug my phone in in the dark.

You might want to cut down a bit.