The iPhone X
on a wireless charger. Photograph: Apple
The new
iPhone X and iPhone 8 support wireless charging for the
first time in an Apple smartphone – but what is it, how does it work and is it
worth using?
How do I wirelessly charge my phone?
Wireless
charging means, as the name suggests, you no longer need to plug a cable into
your smartphone to charge it. Simply placing it face up on a special mat or
tabletop is enough to start charging up your smartphone’s battery, be it the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 or any number of different
smartphones that support wireless charging.
What do I need?
You need two
things. The first is a smartphone that supports wireless charging, or a case
that you can put on one to add wireless charging if it doesn’t come built in.
The second
is a wireless charger. These little pucks or mats come in various shapes and
sizes, from larger mouse mat-like things to small discs built into furniture,
and are available from about £10.
Is it faster?
Samsung’s
Galaxy S8 on a wireless charger. Photograph: Samsung
In most
cases wireless charging is slower than charging via a cable for smartphones
that include fast-charging technology, such as the Galaxy S8.
Some
wireless chargers are faster than others, with modern higher-powered chargers
capable of fully charging a large battery smartphone in around two hours.
They’re typically rated by wattage, with 5W and 10W chargers common, or by
output amperage, with 1A at 5V wireless chargers comparable to a standard 1A
USB cable charger such as that that comes with the iPhone 7.
What’s ‘Qi’ wireless charging?
There are a
couple of competing standards in the wireless charging industry designed for
portable gadgets such as smartphones. Most smartphones support both the
Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi and the PMA or AirFuel Alliance standards,
meaning that they will work on most available chargers.
Qi is
rapidly becoming the most popular wireless charging standard, and the one used
by Apple for its new iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
How does it work?
Wireless
charging works by transferring energy from the charger to a receiver in the
back of the phone via electromagnetic induction. The charger uses an induction
coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field, which the receiver coil in
the phone converts back into electricity to be fed into the battery.
Ikea’s
wireless charging side table. Photograph: Ikea
They
typically have to be in close proximity to each other and correctly aligned
over the top of each other, although a set orientation is normally not
necessary.
Rechargeable
toothbrushes and other bathroom accessories have used inductive charging since
the 1990s.
Other than the iPhone 8 and X, what supports it?
Wireless
charging has been built into smartphones since the Palm Pre in 2009, with some
of Nokia’s Lumia Windows
Phones such as the
820 and 920 gaining wireless charging support in 2012. The Google Nexus 4 also
supported wireless charging and Samsung has supported wireless charging in its
Galaxy S line since 2013’s S4.
A variety of
smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Moto 360 and LG Watch Style, can only be
charged wirelessly, while some tablets such as the Nexus 7 supported wireless
charging.
Some laptops
can also be charged wirelessly, but are typically incompatible with the
technologies and standards used for smaller gadget charging.
Does the phone heat up?
Yes, most
phones and some chargers heat up slightly on the back where the wireless
charging is taking place.
Smartphones typically heat up slightly when
being charged via cable, so the difference is small in most cases and isn’t
anything to worry about.
If it starts
getting really hot, though, it could be a problem with the battery, as with
Samsung’s fire-prone Galaxy Note 7.
Are there any downsides?
The biggest
downside is that wireless charging cannot be performed through metal with
current technology. That means most wirelessly charging smartphones have either
plastic or glass backs, the later of which makes them more fragile.
It also may
not work through thick cases, although generally does through thin plastic
cases, dependent on the phone and the charger.
Is wireless charging going to be a big thing?
Apple’s new
AirPower wireless charger. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
While the
standards for wireless charging have been in flux for years, now that most
devices either support multiple standards or at least Qi, wireless charging is
likely to become a standard part of smartphones in the near future. Apple’s
adoption of Qi is likely to make it the primary standard going forward.
Do I need to buy an Apple wireless charger for an
iPhone 8 or a Samsung wireless charger for a Galaxy S8?
The short
answer is no. As long as the charger matches the wireless charging standard
supported by your smartphone you can use any wireless charger.
Apple’s
AirPower wireless charger can charge more than one Apple device at the same
time, including the Apple Watch and AirPods, with its new wireless charging
case.
What is wireless charging and do I need it?
Apple’s
iPhone 8 and iPhone X come with wireless charging, so there’s no need to reach
for a cable any more. How does it work, what supports it and is it any faster?
Wed 13 Sep
2017 12.30 BST Last modified on Fri 15 Sep 2017 10.05 BST
How do I wirelessly charge my phone?
Wireless
charging means, as the name suggests, you no longer need to plug a cable into
your smartphone to charge it. Simply placing it face up on a special mat or
tabletop is enough to start charging up your smartphone’s battery, be it the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 or any number of different
smartphones that support wireless charging.
What do I need?
You need two
things. The first is a smartphone that supports wireless charging, or a case
that you can put on one to add wireless charging if it doesn’t come built in.
The second
is a wireless charger. These little pucks or mats come in various shapes and
sizes, from larger mouse mat-like things to small discs built into furniture,
and are available from about £10.
Is it faster?
Samsung’s
Galaxy S8 on a wireless charger. Photograph: Samsung
In most
cases wireless charging is slower than charging via a cable for smartphones
that include fast-charging technology, such as the Galaxy S8.
Some
wireless chargers are faster than others, with modern higher-powered chargers
capable of fully charging a large battery smartphone in around two hours.
They’re typically rated by wattage, with 5W and 10W chargers common, or by
output amperage, with 1A at 5V wireless chargers comparable to a standard 1A
USB cable charger such as that that comes with the iPhone 7.
What’s ‘Qi’ wireless charging?
There are a
couple of competing standards in the wireless charging industry designed for
portable gadgets such as smartphones. Most smartphones support both the
Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi and the PMA or AirFuel Alliance standards,
meaning that they will work on most available chargers.
Qi is
rapidly becoming the most popular wireless charging standard, and the one used
by Apple for its new iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
How does it work?
Wireless
charging works by transferring energy from the charger to a receiver in the
back of the phone via electromagnetic induction. The charger uses an induction
coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field, which the receiver coil in
the phone converts back into electricity to be fed into the battery.
Ikea’s
wireless charging side table. Photograph: Ikea
They
typically have to be in close proximity to each other and correctly aligned
over the top of each other, although a set orientation is normally not
necessary.
Rechargeable
toothbrushes and other bathroom accessories have used inductive charging since
the 1990s.
Other than the iPhone 8 and X, what supports it?
Wireless
charging has been built into smartphones since the Palm Pre in 2009, with some
of Nokia’s Lumia Windows
Phones such as the
820 and 920 gaining wireless charging support in 2012. The Google Nexus 4 also
supported wireless charging and Samsung has supported wireless charging in its
Galaxy S line since 2013’s S4.
A variety of
smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Moto 360 and LG Watch Style, can only be
charged wirelessly, while some tablets such as the Nexus 7 supported wireless
charging.
Some laptops
can also be charged wirelessly, but are typically incompatible with the
technologies and standards used for smaller gadget charging.
Does the phone heat up?
Yes, most
phones and some chargers heat up slightly on the back where the wireless
charging is taking place.
Smartphones typically heat up slightly when
being charged via cable, so the difference is small in most cases and isn’t
anything to worry about.
If it starts
getting really hot, though, it could be a problem with the battery, as with
Samsung’s fire-prone Galaxy Note 7.
Are there any downsides?
The biggest
downside is that wireless charging cannot be performed through metal with
current technology. That means most wirelessly charging smartphones have either
plastic or glass backs, the later of which makes them more fragile.
It also may
not work through thick cases, although generally does through thin plastic
cases, dependent on the phone and the charger.
Is wireless charging going to be a big thing?
Apple’s new
AirPower wireless charger. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Wed 13 Sep
2017 12.30 BST Last modified on Fri 15 Sep 2017 10.05 BST
The iPhone X
on a wireless charger. Photograph: Apple
The new
iPhone X and iPhone 8 support wireless charging for the
first time in an Apple smartphone – but what is it, how does it work and is it
worth using?
How do I wirelessly charge my phone?
Wireless
charging means, as the name suggests, you no longer need to plug a cable into
your smartphone to charge it. Simply placing it face up on a special mat or
tabletop is enough to start charging up your smartphone’s battery, be it the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 or any number of different
smartphones that support wireless charging.
What do I need?
You need two
things. The first is a smartphone that supports wireless charging, or a case
that you can put on one to add wireless charging if it doesn’t come built in.
The second
is a wireless charger. These little pucks or mats come in various shapes and
sizes, from larger mouse mat-like things to small discs built into furniture,
and are available from about £10.
Is it faster?
Samsung’s
Galaxy S8 on a wireless charger. Photograph: Samsung
In most
cases wireless charging is slower than charging via a cable for smartphones
that include fast-charging technology, such as the Galaxy S8.
Some
wireless chargers are faster than others, with modern higher-powered chargers
capable of fully charging a large battery smartphone in around two hours.
They’re typically rated by wattage, with 5W and 10W chargers common, or by
output amperage, with 1A at 5V wireless chargers comparable to a standard 1A
USB cable charger such as that that comes with the iPhone 7.
What’s ‘Qi’ wireless charging?
There are a
couple of competing standards in the wireless charging industry designed for
portable gadgets such as smartphones. Most smartphones support both the
Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi and the PMA or AirFuel Alliance standards,
meaning that they will work on most available chargers.
Qi is
rapidly becoming the most popular wireless charging standard, and the one used
by Apple for its new iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
How does it work?
Wireless
charging works by transferring energy from the charger to a receiver in the
back of the phone via electromagnetic induction. The charger uses an induction
coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field, which the receiver coil in
the phone converts back into electricity to be fed into the battery.
Ikea’s
wireless charging side table. Photograph: Ikea
They
typically have to be in close proximity to each other and correctly aligned
over the top of each other, although a set orientation is normally not
necessary.
Rechargeable
toothbrushes and other bathroom accessories have used inductive charging since
the 1990s.
Other than the iPhone 8 and X, what supports it?
Wireless
charging has been built into smartphones since the Palm Pre in 2009, with some
of Nokia’s Lumia Windows
Phones such as the
820 and 920 gaining wireless charging support in 2012. The Google Nexus 4 also
supported wireless charging and Samsung has supported wireless charging in its
Galaxy S line since 2013’s S4.
A variety of
smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Moto 360 and LG Watch Style, can only be
charged wirelessly, while some tablets such as the Nexus 7 supported wireless
charging.
Some laptops
can also be charged wirelessly, but are typically incompatible with the
technologies and standards used for smaller gadget charging.
Does the phone heat up?
Yes, most
phones and some chargers heat up slightly on the back where the wireless
charging is taking place.
Smartphones typically heat up slightly when
being charged via cable, so the difference is small in most cases and isn’t
anything to worry about.
If it starts
getting really hot, though, it could be a problem with the battery, as with
Samsung’s fire-prone Galaxy Note 7.
Are there any downsides?
The biggest
downside is that wireless charging cannot be performed through metal with
current technology. That means most wirelessly charging smartphones have either
plastic or glass backs, the later of which makes them more fragile.
It also may
not work through thick cases, although generally does through thin plastic
cases, dependent on the phone and the charger.
Is wireless charging going to be a big thing?
Apple’s new
AirPower wireless charger. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
While the
standards for wireless charging have been in flux for years, now that most
devices either support multiple standards or at least Qi, wireless charging is
likely to become a standard part of smartphones in the near future. Apple’s
adoption of Qi is likely to make it the primary standard going forward.
Do I need to buy an Apple wireless charger for an
iPhone 8 or a Samsung wireless charger for a Galaxy S8?
The short
answer is no. As long as the charger matches the wireless charging standard
supported by your smartphone you can use any wireless charger.
Apple’s
AirPower wireless charger can charge more than one Apple device at the same
time, including the Apple Watch and AirPods, with its new wireless charging
case.
While the
standards for wireless charging have been in flux for years, now that most
devices either support multiple standards or at least Qi, wireless charging is
likely to become a standard part of smartphones in the near future. Apple’s
adoption of Qi is likely to make it the primary standard going forward.
Do I need to buy an Apple wireless charger for an
iPhone 8 or a Samsung wireless charger for a Galaxy S8?
The short
answer is no. As long as the charger matches the wireless charging standard
supported by your smartphone you can use any wireless charger.
Apple’s
AirPower wireless charger can charge more than one Apple device at the same
time, including the Apple Watch and AirPods, with its new wireless charging
case.
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