Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

busterbluth

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 14, 2008
309
1
Currently all the wireless charging methods involve the addition of a bulky usually unattractive case. Is there a way to build this technology into the phone itself (like a future iPhone) without a case? I know the palm had this technology, and I am wondering why that didn't catch on. It seems very ideal to me, especially now that syncing can be done wireless, that this technology be incorporated into new smart phones. Just curious, thanks!
 
In short, yes, this tech can certainly be built into the next phone. There are handfuls of phones that have exactly what you are talking about built in. Apple simply needs to decide that this is a feature worth incorporating.
 
It would also take up some valuble space as you would need a pretty good size induction coil in the phone. The bigger the better it would work.
 
I, for one, really hope they don't incorporate this technology yet. It's too "new" to be incorporated in an efficient manner and would make the phone much bigger... for what? literally 2 seconds it takes me to connect my phone in the AM and disconnect in the PM? They'd be better off to use any of that space to increase battery size/power so that you have to charge less frequently!
 
In my opinion, wireless charging is purely a gimmick. If I have to place my phone on a charging pad to work, I might as well plug a cord in. At least then I could pick it up and use it while charging.

Wireless charging will only benefit me when the technology is available to make it work without contact, say at a range of less than 5-6 feet.

However, that's just my opinion.
 
In my opinion, wireless charging is purely a gimmick. If I have to place my phone on a charging pad to work, I might as well plug a cord in. At least then I could pick it up and use it while charging.

Wireless charging will only benefit me when the technology is available to make it work without contact, say at a range of less than 5-6 feet.

However, that's just my opinion.

Yeah this. If I had to put my phone flat on a surface to charge that would be annoying in loads of ways...
You couldn't use it while charging unless you left it flat on the pad. Sometimes I use my phone while it is charging, e.g. while watching TV, which wouldn't be possible if it needed a pad - despite being wire-free it would actually be a step backwards.
Also, lots of people use cases which cover the back of the phone - it would be annoying having to take it off whenever you wanted to charge the phone.

The only way wireless charging could prove useful is if it was also contactless - say you have an electric field surrounding covering your whole house (kind of like a wifi signal) so your phone charges whenever you are home. That still seems to be quite a way away - in the mean time I'll stick to a cable, since charging via a pad/surface seems like a dead end technology.
 
I agree. I had the Palm Pre and it was a pain not to be able to pick it up to use while charging.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.