Apple Joins Wireless Power Consortium Behind 'Qi' Standard Ahead of iPhone 8

[Analog Kid]

FWIW, Apple was also on the BluRay board...

Still, I hope something like Qi is the path they take. I don't think the people excited about long range RF charging understand the implications (not enough power to deliver, infrastructure complexity makes it unreasonable for travel, etc). Inductive is really the only viable solution, but an inductive charger is bulky to carry around so going with a standard that allows charging of multiple devices would be nice.

I'm not thrilled about moving away from my lightning cable to charge, but if it has to happen I hope it's a standard that's eventually built into most hotel nightstands.

 

[jayducharme]

Bring on that 2000 watt iPhone!

 

[Taipan]

The picture makes it so apparent tht there's no gain in this, except if you want to connect wired headphones while charging.
Your phone can't get any more stationary than this.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

I admit this doesn't really look like much more than a gimmick, but long range seems like something that would give you an immediate brain tumor...

 

[Fenez]

I admit this doesn't really look like much more than a gimmick, but long range seems like something that would give you an immediate brain tumor...

Long range is a pipe dream, the company that pedals the tech can't even get it to work properly and is very vague on what it can actually do.

 

[melendezest]

That ball looks sweet. BUT. What exactly are the benefits of wireless charging? A ball that is plugged into the power, as opposed to a cable plugged into the power. Both still need cables.

So what are the benefits or is wireless charging just a lame marketing exercise?

It's a convenience feature.

When I get home I just drop my Note5 onto its Qi stand and walk away.

No fumbling with wires, reaching behind my desk or nightstand because it fell back there, no aiming, one-handed, reach-for-it-in-the-middle-of-the-night-without-ripping-the-cord-out or waking-the-wife-because-the-lamp-fell-over-when-the-cord-was-wrapped-around-it convenient.

It's about damn time Apple did this.

 

[manu chao]

How about calling it with its name—inductive charging. Wireless charging is a marketing term as of now.

The problem is, inductive charging also fulfils the definition of wireless charging, Wikipedia also includes inductive charging in its definition of wireless charging. From a practical point of view, you and many others don't see it as wireless charging because there is still a wire on your desk or nightstand (going to the charger). The practical difference is that there is no need anymore to plug anything in (which usually requires two hands, at the very least when unplugging things). That is the key differentiator between how a current iPhone is charged and how the so-called wireless charging (including the Apple Watch) works: One-handed operation and no plugs needed (though of course, the magnetic charger of the Apple Watch might still need two hands, depending how heavy the charging pad is, still there is no plug which besides one-handed use means no space needed for the plug and easier to make the device waterproof).

 

[springsup]

So, as they tend to do with the consortiums they are members of, here's to hoping Apple is joining to push the capability of standards forward as they've done with Bluetooth, Wifi (remember their role in 802.11n?), etc.

Hopefully that happens. They know that there are a broad range of furniture with embedded charging pads; it's annoying enough that you need a different USB cable, but it would totally suck for your furniture to be incompatible with certain phones. This has to happen through a standard. Any sort of parallel "AppleCharge" standard would be viewed negatively by consumers.

 

[a.gomez]

hahahahaha, can not wait to hear what marketing garbage apple comes up with to pretend it is not just Qi.

 

[manu chao]

It's a convenience feature.

When I get home I just drop my Note5 onto its Qi stand and walk away.

No fumbling with wires, reaching behind my desk or nightstand because it fell back there, no aiming, one-handed, reach-for-it-in-the-middle-of-the-night-without-ripping-the-cord-out or waking-the-wife-because-the-lamp-fell-over-when-the-cord-was-wrapped-around-it convenient.

The proper comparison is with a charging dock. If the Qi charging mat prevents you from fumbling with wires or reaching behind the desk because the cable has fallen back there, then any charging dock already does the same. The real difference is 'no-plug' which often can also mean one-handed use.

 

[melendezest]

Think beyond yourself and your immediate needs. How about the traveler who would like to be able to go and not lug along the brick? How about a mat in the airplane tray table? How about mats on the train or bus? How about mats at the airport instead of huddling up with others around sockets and sitting on the floor? How about mats at restaurants where you can grab a charge while you are eating lunch? Office desks? Conference tables? Student desks? Seminar tables? And on and on.

There's lots of places your phone rests where plugging in Lightning to charge is not possible, easy or readily available. Now imagine charging pads in such places. Once Apple goes with a standard (or their own (non)standard) such pads will pop up in lots of places where they cannot already be found. And as they propagate, one might gain the confidence to be able to leave the brick at home.

Besides, it doesn't really matter if one sees this as pointless or not right now. If Apple implements it, some of the same people will be back gushing about the greatness of it and why it is must have, "how did we ever get by with wired charging?" Right now, opinions can vary widely because rumors are early and nobody knows if Apple is really going to do it. Once the collective believes Apple is going to implement it, a wave of enthusiasm for it will rise up and swamp anyone who still see it as pointless.

Wait until Apple removes the charging port and goes all wireless for real.

I wonder how many will hail it as the future and say that we don't need "obsolete and/or ancient" tech like charge ports.

Hey, if you don't need a headphone jack, you don't need a charge port either. You wanted "wireless"? You got it.

 

[Carlanga]

my hp touchpad had inductive charging, I believe it was the reason the screen failed (had to replace the screen) on that same spot in the front 2x.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Wait until Apple removes the charging port and goes all wireless for real.

I wonder how many will hail it as the future and say that we don't need "obsolete and/or ancient" tech like charge ports.

Hey, if you don't need a headphone jack, you don't need a charge port either. You wanted "wireless"? You got it.

Still expecting them to remove the touch screen and make it a Siri-only device

 

[melendezest]

The proper comparison is with a charging dock. If the Qi charging mat prevents you from fumbling with wires or reaching behind the desk because the cable has fallen back there, then any charging dock already does the same. The real difference is 'no-plug' which often can also mean one-handed use.

Don't quite understand what you are getting at.

Charge dock, mat, whatever, you plug them in once and leave them. You can source them from wherever you feel like. You can use them with any device you choose (thanks to standards!). The convenience of having this is undeniable.

Apple's snail's pace in implementing this tech on their phones is just another example of their cripple-so-you-upgrade tactics. They're late to the party every freakin' time, but hey, they're "fashionably late".

I'm past buying their whole "we don't implement it first but only when it's right" marketing BS.

 

[MrX8503]

If it's done via charging mat, it's not a must have feature for me.

I'm past buying their whole "we don't implement it first but only when it's right" marketing BS.

For the most part, that's true. The iPhone wasn't the first smartphone. AirPods weren't the first wireless ear buds.

 

[jerryk]

I love wireless charging. I have had Qi wireless charging on my android phones and tablets since 2013 or so. It is really nice to come home, throw my phone on the charger and know it is will be fully charged in an hour or so. No search for cords, no forgetting to charge. Just 100% charged when I need it
[doublepost=1487005329][/doublepost]

This whole obsession with wireless charging is absurd. Especially if it requires contact. I use my phone as my gps for a living and if i have to add some bulky, expensive charging hardware to replace my current lightning cable i will be pissed

On Android phones wireless charging is in addition to cabled charging. You can get Qi chargers for $10 or so. I have several at home, in my office, etc.

 

[nikaru]

Since when the charging mats are considered wireless chargers?

If this year big feature is Qi-type of charging solution I will be really disappointed...

 

[manu chao]

Don't quite understand what you are getting at.

Charge dock, mat, whatever, you plug them in once and leave them. You can source them from wherever you feel like. You can use them with any device you choose (thanks to standards!). The convenience of having this is undeniable.

What I am getting at is that you imply that because Apple has not implemented wireless charging, you have to fish for a cable. Which simply is false, you can get a charging dock and you don't have to fish for the cable. You touted not-having-to-fish-for-a-cable as an advantage of wireless charging, which is patently wrong. You talked up wireless charging using an invalid argument (among several valid arguments). That is what I am getting at, you embellished the point for wireless charging with an incorrect argument.

 

[melendezest]

For the most part, that's true. The iPhone wasn't the first smartphone. AirPods weren't the first wireless ear buds.

Not even close to the same thing. The iPhone was a revolutionary device. Airpods are not.

After Jobs's death Apple is done rebelling.

Now they're just selling.

And marketing, marketing, marketing, because they're either late, late, late to real, useful feature implementation in their devices (large screens, waterproofing, and now wireless charging) or way too cripplingly early (USB-C only MB, no headphone jack, no Ethernet, the Mac Pro, etc.).

 

[manu chao]

Since when the charging mats are considered wireless chargers?

Ever since they allowed charging without a wire afixed to the phone. You can make the practical argument (that charging mats still involve wires snaking down your desk) but you cannot make the semantical argument (that charging mats do not have a wireless component).
[doublepost=1487006283][/doublepost]

Not even close to the same thing. The iPhone was a revolutionary device. Airpods are not.

After Jobs's death Apple is done rebelling.

In the last 20 years, has there been anything else as revolutionary as the iPhone, in any computing product? Is there any product category besides the smartphone that has become as ubiquitous in the last 20 years? Do you really believe that if Steve Jobs were still alive, Apple would have had any new product even remotely as successful as the iPhone?

 

[melendezest]

What I am getting at is that you imply that because Apple has not implemented wireless charging, you have to fish for a cable. Which simply is false, you can get a charging dock and you don't have to fish for the cable. You touted not-having-to-fish-for-a-cable as an advantage of wireless charging, which is patently wrong. You talked up wireless charging using an invalid argument (among several valid arguments). That is what I am getting at, you embellished the point for wireless charging with an incorrect argument.

The point you missed is that for competing devices you haven't had to fish for anything at all (dock, cable, plug, whatever) for years now. I've had it all, and wireless charging is the single and obviously best solution at the moment for charging a device.

Thus, not having to fish for a cable (or anything, for that matter) is patently right, at least for those who don't like doing so (like me) and those who don't defend Apple even when it's glaringly obvious Apple sucks at something in particular.

 

[pedzsan]

Call me an old stick in the mud but I don't really get this. The old iPod had a base where you basically just dropped it in the base and it charged and synced. If you have to drop is somewhere... wireless / wired -- I don't see the difference. AND... (again -- call me an old stick in the mud) but long distance charging scares me.

 

[KdParker]

Yep risk it and if the device breaks, send it back to Apple for a full new replacement. The device should be able to work with any third party charger and have internal mechanisms that prevent the device getting damaged.

The onus is on Apple to ensure its device doesn't fail, and if it does does fail, that it fails gracefully.

Sure, but if you don't want to go through the hassle, then get an Apple charger and not worry.

 

[melendezest]

Ever since they allowed charging without a wire afixed to the phone. You can make the practical argument (that charging mats still involve wires snaking down your desk) but you cannot make the semantical argument (that charging mats do not have a wireless component).
[doublepost=1487006283][/doublepost]
In the last 20 years, has there been anything else as revolutionary as the iPhone, in any computing product? Is there any product category besides the smartphone that has become as ubiquitous in the last 20 years? Do you really believe that if Steve Jobs were still alive, Apple would have had any new product even remotely as successful as the iPhone?

Once again, you missed the point of my argument. Here's a refresher from the actual prevoius post:

"Apple's snail's pace in implementing this tech on their phones is just another example of their cripple-so-you-upgrade tactics. They're late to the party every freakin' time, but hey, they're "fashionably late".

I'm past buying their whole "we don't implement it first but only when it's right" marketing BS."

The point was in reference to the time it takes Apple to implement useful features in their devices. Someone else countered with the "iPhone precedent".

I was pointing out that it doesn't apply in this scenario, or any other since 2011, when true innovation died at Apple along with its visionary.

Thus I expressed that I believe Apple does this slow leak of features simply as an "drive user upgrade" tactic, instead of the "we do it when it's right" marketing mantra.
[doublepost=1487007078][/doublepost]

Call me an old stick in the mud but I don't really get this. The old iPod had a base where you basically just dropped it in the base and it charged and synced. If you have to drop is somewhere... wireless / wired -- I don't see the difference. AND... (again -- call me an old stick in the mud) but long distance charging scares me.

Agreed on the long-distance charging thing.

As far as "docking" (which is what you refer to in regards to the iPod), it's much easier and consistent to drop the device on a surface without having an "insertion" of any kind occur. Especially in the middle of the night.

I remember if the iPod wasn't in the dock right, or I bumped it in the night and it came loose, I'd wake to a dead iPod.

With Qi, it's really fire-and-forget easy and the kind of "duh" tech Apple should've had by now.

 

[Manzzle]

So this means you can set your phone down on of those circles on the tables of Starbucks?