Why is wireless charging considered a selling point?

matttye · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
Well, you have people touting the new lightning cable is reversible.

It does make you wonder that if this was an Apple product, say the iMat, if wireless charging would be perceived differently. Some might even call it pushing the technology. :O

A reversible cable is more convenient than a non-reversible cable, just like wireless charging is more convenient than using a cable.

They're both convenience features.. so there's not really anything wrong with touting the fact that lightning cables are reversible.

b166er · Feb 1, 2013

Charging mats never really hit home with me. A lot of times I still have to use the phone while it's charging, and that is a lot easier to do with a regular old charging cable. I am using a Lumia 920 right now, and while the charging mat is nice, I only use it at bed time. It stays on my nightstand. It was not a selling point for me at all, but I guess the one third of a second it saves me twice a day is appreciated.

onthecouchagain · Feb 1, 2013

I read an article a while back regarding battery technology and how it's near impossible to create longer lasting batteries without a) simply making them larger or b) costing an exorbitant amount of money.

The real future of battery technology is allowing people to fully charge their phones super quickly. They were talking about going from 0% to 100% in minutes.

This would be amazing with a wireless charging pad. Just literally plop it down for a few, and it's back in your hand/pockets ready to roll. Imaging topping it off at the end of the day in the office before going out for a late night. Or if you forgot to charge it over night, just place it on your charging pad while you brush your teeth; come back, fully charged.

It's exciting stuff, and this is all the first step towards that.

Abazigal · Feb 1, 2013

Call me delusional, but my idea of wireless charging involves a charger that emits magnetic waves and can wirelessly charge your supported devices from anywhere in the room, without the need to place them on a mat or place them on a mat. You can even be using your phone and it will still be charged.

That would be real convenience. Just imagine, I plug one near my imac, and it will automatically keep my trackpad and keyboard's battery fully charged, and well as any mobile devices placed near it.

To me, the current implementation of wireless charging just misses the point.

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
So I go from using a standard USB plug compatible with nearly any device, to a proprietary mat that will only work with my device and no cross-compatibility?

It would seem you aren't very knowledgeable about what you're speaking on. Qi standard wireless chargers are cross compatible. My N4 has Qi wireless charging, so I can use an charging mat that uses that standard.

Not only that, it's going to make travel charging a pain, having to carry that charger everywhere

You do realize there is nothing precluding you from using micro usb chargers also..... Nobody is forcing you to use wireless charging everywhere you go..

All this for what? Inefficiently charging your phone that looks 1% cooler than just plugging it in?

Once again, you show you don't really know what you're talking about. Wireless charging is not inherently inefficient..

Maybe if there was some kind of cool multimedia mode you get like when you put it in an audio dock that would add some redemption, but still, please tell me why something so stupid is actually used to sell phones?

Perhaps if you actually had it, then you would understand. It's all about convenience. It is much more convenient for me to walk in the door, and just sit my phone down as I'm passing by the end table. When I'm leaving the house, I just reach down a pick it up. I don't have to fumble with wires. It is especially convenient when I am sleeping, because I can just reach over and sit my phone down and it starts charging. No wires to unplug and plug back up, no wires to untangle, no wires falling behind the nightstand...it's just plain convenient.

blackhand1001 said:
That's not the point. The point is that you can just simply put the phone on the mat instead of having to fiddle with the plug.

----------

You do realize that you can use the regular style chargers just fine on phone with wireless charging.

Exactly.

Tinmania · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
I read an article a while back regarding battery technology and how it's near impossible to create longer lasting batteries without a) simply making them larger or b) costing an exorbitant amount of money.

I don't believe it is impossible to increase battery technology.

Nature has done it. Look at the human body. I read it has the energy stored in it equivalent to a one ton battery. And we are not made of just fat/storage (well, most of us lol).

If there was a way to convert that biological energy to electrical energy, instead of kinetic, I suspect we could have batteries with much greater energy density than we do now. Fat (animal or plant) has about 20 times the energy density of lithium batteries. Gotta be safer than hydrogen--and only about a third the energy density. So who knows.

Michael

SlCKB0Y · Feb 1, 2013

Abazigal said:
Call me delusional, but my idea of wireless charging involves a charger that emits magnetic waves and can wirelessly charge your supported devices from anywhere in the room, without the need to place them on a mat or place them on a mat. You can even be using your phone and it will still be charged.
...
To me, the current implementation of wireless charging just misses the point.

Your ideal implementation of wireless charging is not a practical one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law

0000757 · Feb 1, 2013

The iGentleman said:
It would seem you aren't very knowledgeable about what you're speaking on. Qi standard wireless chargers are cross compatible. My N4 has Qi wireless charging, so I can use an charging mat that uses that standard.

You do realize there is nothing precluding you from using micro usb chargers also..... Nobody is forcing you to use wireless charging everywhere you go..

Once again, you show you don't really know what you're talking about. Wireless charging is not inherently inefficient..

Perhaps if you actually had it, then you would understand. It's all about convenience. It is much more convenient for me to walk in the door, and just sit my phone down as I'm passing by the end table. When I'm leaving the house, I just reach down a pick it up. I don't have to fumble with wires. It is especially convenient when I am sleeping, because I can just reach over and sit my phone down and it starts charging. No wires to unplug and plug back up, no wires to untangle, no wires falling behind the nightstand...it's just plain convenient.

Exactly.

I know you can still use generic plugs.

My experience is that wireless charging is not convenient, you have to set it on a mat and it also charges less efficiently, and you can't practically use your phone.

If you're really concerned with wireless (and if you're not a disorganized person wires shouldn't be an issue), a dock like the iHome or a charging dock is a much better investment as you have much more efficient charging and a lot of dock offer special features not going to get with some lame charging mat.

It's so much more convenient to just plug it in directly or use a media dock where you can still easily access all your phone functions/have special addo-n features than have your phone lying flat. Wireless Charging isn't wireless at all, either, because you still have to fiddle with plugs, It's just a bad inefficient take on a dock, only very gimmicky.

The only thing I give you is the Qi, I didn't know that existed. The only other wireless charging I've seen are proprietary/require a special case for other devices to us.

I'd rather my companies come up with new ways to experience your media and push that, or develop new apps or come up with amazing improvements in their cameras or cellular technology, not claim they have a better phone because they have this useless system that you have to pay extra to use with a cool factor that wears off in about 30 minutes.

thejadedmonkey · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I know you can still use generic plugs.

My experience is that wireless charging is not convenient, you have to set it on a mat and it also charges less efficiently, and you can't practically use your phone.

.....

I'd rather my companies come up with new ways to experience your media and push that, or develop new apps or come up with amazing improvements in their cameras or cellular technology, not claim they have a better phone because they have this useless system that you have to pay extra to use with a cool factor that wears off in about 30 minutes.

You mean like the Nokia Pure View camera that can take the best freakin pictures at night? Because they did that and wireless charging.

Your experience shows that you have none. If you really want to use your phone while charging it, go for it. But if you want to lay in bed and use your phone, then roll over and go to sleep, you can do that without having to plug your phone in and know it'll be fully charged in the morning. That alone is worth the ~$50 for a wireless charger, and I challenge you to explain to me how that is inconvenient.

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I know you can still use generic plugs.

Ok then, so if you don't want to use wireless, nobody is forcing you. Since when is having an additional option a bad thing?

My experience is that wireless charging is not convenient, you have to set it on a mat and it also charges less efficiently, and you can't practically use your phone.

Then I'd go out on a limb and to say you don't seem to have very much experience...

If you're really concerned with wireless (and if you're not a disorganized person wires shouldn't be an issue), a dock like the iHome or a charging dock is a much better investment as you have much more efficient charging and a lot of dock offer special features not going to get with some lame charging mat.

Organized or not, wires can very easily become tangled, and wires can very easily fall behind pieces of furniture. You say a dock..I'd rather have a wireless charging speaker that gives to multimedia functions..

Wireless Charging isn't wireless at all, either, because you still have to fiddle with plugs, It's just a bad inefficient take on a dock, only very gimmicky.

I haven't "fiddled with plugs" for my wireless charger since November....try again..

The only thing I give you is the Qi, I didn't know that existed. The only other wireless charging I've seen are proprietary/require a special case for other devices to us.

There seems to be much that you didn't know as it relates to wireless charging...this made apparent by your constant statements regarding efficiency and convenience.

cynics · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I know you can still use generic plugs.

My experience is that wireless charging is not convenient, you have to set it on a mat and it also charges less efficiently, and you can't practically use your phone.

If you're really concerned with wireless (and if you're not a disorganized person wires shouldn't be an issue), a dock like the iHome or a charging dock is a much better investment as you have much more efficient charging and a lot of dock offer special features not going to get with some lame charging mat.

It's so much more convenient to just plug it in directly or use a media dock where you can still easily access all your phone functions/have special addo-n features than have your phone lying flat. Wireless Charging isn't wireless at all, either, because you still have to fiddle with plugs, It's just a bad inefficient take on a dock, only very gimmicky.

The only thing I give you is the Qi, I didn't know that existed. The only other wireless charging I've seen are proprietary/require a special case for other devices to us.

I'd rather my companies come up with new ways to experience your media and push that, or develop new apps or come up with amazing improvements in their cameras or cellular technology, not claim they have a better phone because they have this useless system that you have to pay extra to use with a cool factor that wears off in about 30 minutes.

Haters gonna hate.

A mat is inconvenient because you practically can't use the phone. Your solution....an iHome. Rriigghhtt....

Which btw docking into iHome is not an elegant process at least with mine and the 30 pin connector.

ReanimationN · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
And you still can.

Don't forget the fact that no one is forcing you to buy the wireless charging pad and making you charge your devices only that way.

Yeah, I can see that, it just wouldn't be a selling point to me. If I were tossing up between two similar phones, one having wireless charging wouldn't influence my decision in any way- it doesn't appeal to me. It's nice for those who want the option, but it's not going to to be a selling point for some people.

0000757 · Feb 1, 2013

I'm not saying Wireless charging is bad and we should remove it from all phones, i'm just saying I don't think it's worth an advertising feature.

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I'm not saying Wireless charging is bad and we should remove it from all phones, i'm just saying I don't think it's worth an advertising feature.

In today's smartphone market, wireless charging is a rather unique feature, why wouldn't they advertise it?

onthecouchagain · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I'm not saying Wireless charging is bad and we should remove it from all phones, i'm just saying I don't think it's worth an advertising feature.

What are your thoughts on Apple's Noise Cancellation ad? Or their "it's usable with one hand" ad? Or their thinner-iPhone 5 ads where they ask, "How can something get bigger, but also smaller?" (where they imply they're breaking the laws of physics with the iPhone 5 design).

Are all these worthy features to advertise with? Keep in mind, these are each separate ads for each of those "features."

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
What are your thoughts on Apple's Noise Cancellation ad? Or their "it's usable with one hand" ad?

Are all these worthy features to advertise with?

You read my mind. Every time I see that commercial, I bust out laughing. I can't believe they are advertising a feature I have considered to be pretty standard for the last 4 years lol.

onthecouchagain · Feb 1, 2013

Seriously, this is even more ridiculous than I remember:

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
Seriously, this is even more ridiculous than I remember:

YouTube: video

To call that commercial lousy doesn't even begin to fully describe how poor that commercial was. I cannot imagine a person viewing that commercial and saying, "I must have that physics defying phone!"

siiip5 · Feb 1, 2013

Abazigal said:
Call me delusional, but my idea of wireless charging involves a charger that emits magnetic waves and can wirelessly charge your supported devices from anywhere in the room, without the need to place them on a mat or place them on a mat. You can even be using your phone and it will still be charged.

That would be real convenience. Just imagine, I plug one near my imac, and it will automatically keep my trackpad and keyboard's battery fully charged, and well as any mobile devices placed near it.

To me, the current implementation of wireless charging just misses the point.

Nicola Tesla did this over 100 years ago... Sort of, anyway. Problem with what you propose is cost, in both the users electric bill and the environment. Contact charging requires very little voltage by comparison and provides a governed throughput.

----------

onthecouchagain said:
I read an article a while back regarding battery technology and how it's near impossible to create longer lasting batteries without a) simply making them larger or b) costing an exorbitant amount of money.

The real future of battery technology is allowing people to fully charge their phones super quickly. They were talking about going from 0% to 100% in minutes.

This would be amazing with a wireless charging pad. Just literally plop it down for a few, and it's back in your hand/pockets ready to roll. Imaging topping it off at the end of the day in the office before going out for a late night. Or if you forgot to charge it over night, just place it on your charging pad while you brush your teeth; come back, fully charged.

It's exciting stuff, and this is all the first step towards that.

You can already do this. I plop out a dead battery with a fresh one. Go from 0 to 100 in 60 seconds! No wires needed there either.

onthecouchagain · Feb 1, 2013

siiip5 said:
You can already do this. I plop out a dead battery with a fresh one. Go from 0 to 100 in 60 seconds! No wires needed there either.

Touche

0000757 · Feb 1, 2013

onthecouchagain said:
What are your thoughts on Apple's Noise Cancellation ad? Or their "it's usable with one hand" ad? Or their thinner-iPhone 5 ads where they ask, "How can something get bigger, but also smaller?" (where they imply they're breaking the laws of physics with the iPhone 5 design).

Are all these worthy features to advertise with? Keep in mind, these are each separate ads for each of those "features."

I don't think noise cancellation is a big deal (I didn't even know the iPhone had it), and I'm not a thin-obsessor (I do prefer thin over thick but I'm not going to obsess about it), but the use with one hand is an attractive point, but not as major a selling point as say the LTE, or the camera.

I just don't think wireless charging is a big deal or anything amazing, but something that drops functionality that you could get with a dock, for what, maybe half a second of convenience time? If I buy a phone and is wireless charging, cool, i'm never going to use it and its not important to me, and I don't think it should be something that makes or breaks a phone, yet people are treating it like they treat wether a phone as LTE support or not.

The iGentleman · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I don't think noise cancellation is a big deal (I didn't even know the iPhone had it), and I'm not a thin-obsessor (I do prefer thin over thick but I'm not going to obsess about it), but the use with one hand is an attractive point, but not as major a selling point as say the LTE, or the camera.

I just don't think wireless charging is a big deal or anything amazing, but something that drops functionality that you could get with a dock, for what, maybe half a second of convenience time? If I buy a phone and is wireless charging, cool, i'm never going to use it and its not important to me, and I don't think it should be something that makes or breaks a phone, yet people are treating it like they treat wether a phone as LTE support or not.

I certainly couldn't careless about LTE lol. I've had it on my GS3, and I can say my experience is no different without it.

0000757 · Feb 1, 2013

The iGentleman said:
I certainly couldn't careless about LTE lol. I've had it on my GS3, and I can say my experience is no different without it.

I think at this point the best thing to do is agree to disagree. I don't see "wireless" charging as a selling point, but others might and do.

siiip5 · Feb 1, 2013

chrf097 said:
I don't think noise cancellation is a big deal (I didn't even know the iPhone had it), and I'm not a thin-obsessor (I do prefer thin over thick but I'm not going to obsess about it), but the use with one hand is an attractive point, but not as major a selling point as say the LTE, or the camera.

I just don't think wireless charging is a big deal or anything amazing, but something that drops functionality that you could get with a dock, for what, maybe half a second of convenience time? If I buy a phone and is wireless charging, cool, i'm never going to use it and its not important to me, and I don't think it should be something that makes or breaks a phone, yet people are treating it like they treat wether a phone as LTE support or not.

Ever used wireless charging? I had it with my Touchpad and it was awesome. I have it with my Magic Mouse on my iMac (and love it!) Wireless charging isn't a necessity, but it IS a nice to have option (and def a feature worth touting.) I mean, if Apple is going to feature options that have been on other phones and OS's for years in their keynotes and advertising campaigns, surely you can see a unique feature like wireless charging is a worthy selling point.

0000757 · Feb 1, 2013

siiip5 said:
Ever used wireless charging? I had it with my Touchpad and it was awesome. I have it with my Magic Mouse on my iMac (and love it!) Wireless charging isn't a necessity, but it IS a nice to have option (and def a feature worth touting.) I mean, if Apple is going to feature options that have been on other phones and OS's for years in their keynotes and advertising campaigns, surely you can see a unique feature like wireless charging is a worthy selling point.

I see it more practical for a mouse, but not for a phone.

Why pay so much money for a mat that I still have to plug in when I can get a multimedia dock for my phone for less that charges it and adds more functionality.

Why is wireless charging considered a selling point?

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