Wireless charging is slowly becoming an in-demand smartphone feature. And there’s a good reason why.
If charging your smartphone is as easy as dropping it on a pad, why wouldn’t you want your phone compatible with a wireless charger? Not only does the new technology allow you to keep your smartphones charged, they also take away the hassle of keeping track of chargers and messy wires.
The only downside is that it may take slightly longer to charge a smartphone with a Qi wireless charger, which is why adoption has been a bit slow. But, with the widespread adoption of wireless charging technology by smartphone giants such as Apple and Google, we can expect to overcome this drawback quickly.
How Does Wireless Charging Work?
As the name suggests, wireless charging means charging a smartphone without using a plug or cable. By simply placing a smartphone on a special mat or tabletop will allow you to charge your smartphone without any wires.
Without getting too technical, wireless charging, or inductive (also known as cordless) charging, uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two objects through an electromagnetic induction.
It’s like when you use your stove to boil a pot of water. You’re simply pulling electrical energy from the metallic coil at the bottom of the put to heat up the pot, and ultimately the water inside. Wireless charging technology uses the same principle and uses the induction coil in the charger pad to generate energy, and feed it to the smartphone battery.
While many smartphone companies have yet to completely immerse in the new tech, we’ve come up with a list of the best and latest phones that offer built-in wireless charging capabilities.
Pixel 3/3XL
Looks like Google is back with a bang with its latest Pixel 3/3XL release. An upgrade to their largely successful original Pixel 2 phone, the latest smartphone series also supports Qi wireless charging. The new smartphones feature a glass hybrid design instead of the metal, which means they are completely compatible with the wireless charging tech.
Similar to Apple, Google also has plans to release their first wireless charging stand – the Pixel Stand. When docked, users can get Google Assistant to perform tasks by voice or via shortcuts that appear on the screen.
iPhone 8/8 Plus/ X/XS/XR/X Max
Apple has finally got on the Qi wireless charging bandwagon. As a leader in the smartphone industry, their decision to make their new and upcoming phones compatible with wireless charging will influence and promote widespread use of the new charging technology.
iPhones 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, and X Max all support the Qi wireless charging standard, which means consumers can use any charging pad that uses this technology to charge up their latest iPhones.
Apple had announced in 2017 that they had plans to release AirPad, however, there has been no update on it’s release.
Samsung Galaxy S9/Note 9
One of the very first smartphone companies to offer wireless charging is Samsung.
Not only have they offered wireless charging on smartphones as old as Galaxy S6 and Note 5, it looks like this feature has become a regular feature on all of their phones. Easily one of the most popular phones with wireless charging are the their latest flagship models – Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, and Note 9. All are compatible with Qi/PMA wireless charging, meaning that we can see more smartphone providers offering this feature.
Sony Xperia XZ2/Xz2 Premium/Xz3
It seems like Sony is making a comeback in the smartphone industry by offering it’s latest models, Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 offering Qi wireless charging capabilities. They originally announced in MWC 2018 that moving forward all of their phones will have wireless charging as a anchor feature.
LG G7 ThinQ/V30/V35
All of LG’s recent flagship smartphones support wireless charging, including the LG V30 and V35, which launched in late 2017, and the LG G7 ThinQ, which went on sale in the summer of 2018.
It’s expected that LG is to launch a smartphone next year that will also feature pioneering features in look and display, along with greater compatibility with other wireless charging technology, other than Qi.
Even though the wireless charging revolution began back in 2009, the tech has recently been picked up due to the release of several new smartphones featuring wireless charging compatibility.
With Google and Apple including Qi wireless charging feature in their latest and upcoming smartphones, we can expect many other smartphone companies to follow suit, and offer this as a staple feature in their phones.
What’s your favourite Qi wireless charging compatible smartphone? Leave your comments below!
