A lot of folks on the board seem to be disappointed about the lack of wireless charging on the iPhone 5. What benefit does this honestly offer? Didn't Palm used to charge wirelessly?
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What's the point of "Wireless Charging"
- Thread starter AustinIllini
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Yep.
Instead of searching for the cable, turning it around properly (I guess this is not the case with Lightning), and putting it in... you just place your phone on a magnetic pad and it will charge.
Obviously it's not a necessity at all, but it would have been a cool feature to have.
Wireless charging is a concept that is far from mastered. I always have my phone with me, so keeping my iPhone on some charging hub would be so inconvenient. I'd rather just plug it into my MacBook and keep it simple. Unless they integrated something into the palmrest, wireless charging is a feature I don't need and probably wouldn't use.
Scenario: You charge your iPhone during bedtime. You get up unexpectedly, or to turn off your alarm. Your USB cable doesn't reach far enough, so you have to unplug your cable or move closer to your phone to interact with it. Sometimes you'll wind up tugging too much at the cable and pulling the charger off the socket.
With wireless charging, you won't be limited by the cable getting in your way. Of course it's not necessary to have wireless charging, but has great potential for convenience purposes.
Or how about a household with multiple i-devices? Instead of having to plug each and every one of them, you can lay them all on a power mat, placed in a common area like the living room, freeing up sockets and eliminating the need for redundant cables!
With wireless charging, you won't be limited by the cable getting in your way. Of course it's not necessary to have wireless charging, but has great potential for convenience purposes.
Or how about a household with multiple i-devices? Instead of having to plug each and every one of them, you can lay them all on a power mat, placed in a common area like the living room, freeing up sockets and eliminating the need for redundant cables!
exactly. If iPhone ever gets it, it will be on par with cable charging or better...The nokia has it with a special case you have to buy but it doesn't charge nearly as well as it's cable would.
whoa tesla...all the wireless charging on any phone requires the phone to be on a special stand or like a few inches away...
Scenario 2 I could see but I had that exact scenario 1. Though instead, I bought a $1 monoprice extension cable and solved my problem, with the bonus that I can use it while charging. Bonus!
That's what I'm looking for in the future. The easiest dock possible, just set it down when I get home and pick it up when I leave again. I'm hoping that the move to a metal back might signify a move in this direction.
This is my biggest issue with wireless charging, you can't easily use the device while it's being charged. When I'm doing something and get low on battery, I sit on the couch/lay in bed, plug in, and keep working. If I were restricted to wireless charging, I'd have to stop using the phone just to charge it.
I disagree, I feel that Palm did master wireless charging. Not only did they make an incredibly elegant charging base system, they even developed "exhibition mode" software so that their phones would display specific information when put on the charger and it could even be different depending on which charger was used (bedroom, office, kitchen, etc). My old Palm would automatically set to minimum brightness and display a clock and my notifications unless I dismissed them. It was the PERFECT bedside alarm clock. That is one of the few things I miss about that phone.
The downsides, and I'm sure these are the reason Apple has not implemented inductive charging are that it does increase the thickness of the phone (as we have seen with the Lumia 920), and it would mean apple had to use plastic or carbon fiber backing, neither of which seem to fit apple's style.
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Thats not really true, I used my Pre a lot while it was on the touchstone charger. Because it was designed to hold the phone at an angle instead of flat on the table I was able to sit at my desk with it displaying information or playing music and I could even text while it was charging. It was pretty nice.
Agreed 100%, I am super stoked for my iPhone 5, but that is something I will always miss about my Palm Pre. That TouchStone (?) charger was amazing.
One thing we need to remember is that wireless charging will NOT replace wired charging; it is simply an option/alternative. It may be slower, you're unable to use it while it's on the mat, etc, but in no way are you forced to give up your wired connection.
Great things about wireless charging:
(1) Cant use your device while charging!
(2) Charging is more inefficient and takes longer.
(3) Requires expensive charging pads that take up countertop space.
(4) Requires components that severely limit the engineer of a thinner device.
(5) It's easier to charge your phone when drunk.
(1) Cant use your device while charging!
(2) Charging is more inefficient and takes longer.
(3) Requires expensive charging pads that take up countertop space.
(4) Requires components that severely limit the engineer of a thinner device.
(5) It's easier to charge your phone when drunk.
The type that Nokia is touting with the Lumia 920 is just kinda silly. If I have to put my phone on a certain device for it to charge, wouldn't it be just as easy to plug it in? Besides, plugging it in charges much faster anyway.
The type of wireless charging that would truly be of benefit would be one where you can leave it in your pocket while it's charging. You'd just need to be a few feet from the wireless charging device plugged into your car's power adapter as you drive or by the charging device plugged into a nearby wall (think "night stand or desk").
That technology obviously hasn't matured yet though. Until it does, any attempt at using pillows and such for charging is just...goofy.
The type of wireless charging that would truly be of benefit would be one where you can leave it in your pocket while it's charging. You'd just need to be a few feet from the wireless charging device plugged into your car's power adapter as you drive or by the charging device plugged into a nearby wall (think "night stand or desk").
That technology obviously hasn't matured yet though. Until it does, any attempt at using pillows and such for charging is just...goofy.
I believe this type of wireless charging is what apple is working on but it is still years away and like inductive charging is likely slower than plugging in.
Given how most synching happens over the air now, plugging in a cable seems... quaint.
I'd much rather drop the phone onto a pad on my dresser and know that it's charging.
I'd much rather drop the phone onto a pad on my dresser and know that it's charging.
My point of view on it is if you don't want to have to fish around for a cable (first world problem) then you can just get a dock and drop it in.
If its going to charge on the mat it has to stay on the mat... I use my phone while plugged in all the time.
It seems like a gimmick to me.
If its going to charge on the mat it has to stay on the mat... I use my phone while plugged in all the time.
It seems like a gimmick to me.
Nobody is saying wireless charging should REPLACE wired charging. It would be offered as an option so the slower charging would be done at time when fast charging isn't required. For example, work, bedside or driving.
Wireless Charging isn't a necessity but I had a Palm Pre and the wireless touchstone really was amazing so I'd love to see it get introduced into an Apple product.
Exactly. It seems like those against wireless charging assumes that it'd be the only method to charge your device, which isn't the case. If you want to plug up your phone and use it while charge, you can still do that.
- VDubb
(1) Charge while you sleep
(2) See #1
(3) More space than your phone laying on the counter?
(4) I'll give you that one
(5) The first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem