Will we ever get inductive charging?

[Neonblue]

I still don't see how this is useful.

It makes perfect sense for smaller appliances (like smartwatches) and I think would be amazing for things like laptops, but tablets and phones? Why? You can't use the device while it's charging easily. I can take a private phone call when plugged in, but I can't when "wireless charging".

Not to mention, it's not "wireless charging", because I still see a wire. There's patents for TRUE wireless charging, including an upcoming case that charges your phones with ions from the air, so when that becomes a thing I'll be impressed, but I not once ever used wireless charging on any of my phones because I just didn't find how it could be useful.

I first saw wireless charging many years ago in Helsinki airport. Built into the table of a food outlet, if you had a compatible phone - you just placed it on the table and voilá.

I'm in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, train stations, airports, on a daily basis...and I'm always in need of finding a socket to charge my iPhone. I carry an external battery, but sometimes that's not convenient.

I'd love to sit down in somewhere like Starbucks and literally just place my iPhone down on the table to charge whilst I drink my coffee.

 

[0000757]

I first saw wireless charging many years ago in Helsinki airport. Built into the table of a food outlet, if you had a compatible phone - you just placed it on the table and voilá.

I'm in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, train stations, airports, on a daily basis...and I'm always in need of finding a socket to charge my iPhone. I carry an external battery, but sometimes that's not convenient.

I'd love to sit down in somewhere like Starbucks and literally just place my iPhone down on the table to charge whilst I drink my coffee.

I'd just rather not limit my interaction with my device for minor convenience. Sure I can just place it on a table but now I can't use it in my hands, take private phone calls, and so on.

 

[KatieKat78]

Ya you're not going to get away with that. Explain yourself.

Uh yes they do

 

[HEK]

Rather NOT see wireless charging.

1. Still has wire to the pad.
2. Takes longer, less efficient. Consumes energy turning into heat.
3. I sometimes use my device while charging. With long cables I bought it is easy.
4. Don't believe phone can have metal back as inductance would be interrupted by metal.
5. Inductance coil inside device would take up room, so either bigger phone or give up something else inside device.
6. Small charger easier to travel with as opposed to the inductance pad. Still need cable for both.

 

[haruhiko]

Apple Watch's charging is slow (considering the tiny battery) and generates quite a lot of heat. I don't think this is an optimal solution.

 

[xiwong]

https://www.qualcomm.com/news/relea...mpany-enable-wireless-charging-mobile-devices

I think we will. The main reason I believe we don't have it right now is because it only recently became possible to do wireless charging with a metal body, and we all know there is no way Apple will give up a metal body for wireless charging.

I have a Note 5 and a 6+, and my favorite time to use wireless charging is in the car (GMC Yukon). Take it out of my pocket, put it on the center console, and its good to go.

In regards to slow/inefficient, the Note 5 has quick wireless charging (2 hours). And if you think Apple actually cares about how fast phones charge, you probably don't have a 6+. I've never owned a phone that took so long to charge on the stock charger (3+ hours). Even with the not-stock 2.1A iPad charger, it is still takes longer than the Note 5 on wireless charging (go figure).

 

[capitanbuzo]

Apple Watch's charging is slow (considering the tiny battery) and generates quite a lot of heat. I don't think this is an optimal solution.

I can attest to how hot the watch gets. It would honestly be more difficult carrying around a larger charger to do inductive unless there was a lightning backup.

 

[happycadaver]

Personally, i don't need this feature right now. For me it would only make sense, if i can use it outside my home without problems. If i still need a charging cable as soon as i leave my home, it is pretty useless.

 

[StuMcBill]

I bought a few of these: http://www.znaps.net/ which should do the trick for a while. It's not quite wireless, but its magnetic, so should be easy to connect (think Magsafe on Macbook)

 

[trifid]

Rather NOT see wireless charging.

1. Still has wire to the pad.
2. Takes longer, less efficient. Consumes energy turning into heat.
3. I sometimes use my device while charging. With long cables I bought it is easy.
4. Don't believe phone can have metal back as inductance would be interrupted by metal.
5. Inductance coil inside device would take up room, so either bigger phone or give up something else inside device.
6. Small charger easier to travel with as opposed to the inductance pad. Still need cable for both.

You are missing the point about a 'pad' or inductive surface/dock. Remember the iPod/iPhone dock? The point of a dock/pad is that it's meant as a permanent/fixed location, so you plug it once, and leave it there plugged permanently. So the convenience is that it's already plugged and ready for use.

A good example is inductive charging/docking in the car, it would be awesome: I currently have hanging wires from the iOtie car dock which isn't very elegant and inconvenient having to plug it in constantly.

About the speed and heat, my HP touchpad never got hot from charging, so it might differ depending on implementation.

About using your iphone while charging, sure, there would still be a lightning port so you can plugin a cable and use your phone; inductive charging doesn't mean charging should be exclusively inductive.

About metal back, this may be true, but Apple could use a different material.

You are right the inductance coil would make phone thicker, and if rumors are true, iPhone 7 will be even thinner, so Apple might prioritize thinness over inductance (sadly).

 

[Tork]

I first saw wireless charging many years ago in Helsinki airport. Built into the table of a food outlet, if you had a compatible phone - you just placed it on the table and voilá.

I'm in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, train stations, airports, on a daily basis...and I'm always in need of finding a socket to charge my iPhone. I carry an external battery, but sometimes that's not convenient.

I'd love to sit down in somewhere like Starbucks and literally just place my iPhone down on the table to charge whilst I drink my coffee.

I'd probably lose my phone within a week of doing that myself by forgetting it. Or by someone stealing it....

Better, just make the phone a little thicker and give it a proper all-day battery so that's never an issue. With technology where it is today, a person should be able to do anything they want on their phone short of shooting 4k video all day and as long as they started the day at 100%, it'd last the entire day until they're home and can plug it in. So frustrating........

 

[jimbo1mcm]

The technology is out there. My wife's Galaxy S6 charges wirelessly( glass back ). My previous Nexus 6 charged wirelessly( plastic back). Qualcomm has announced a wireless technology that works through metal. So if Apple was really interested in doing it they could. The problem is that it takes up a little space and THINESS is the ruler at Apple.

 

[maflynn]

Perhaps with the iPhone 7 and of course with Apple it will be "amazing" and how they innovated to bring such technology to us 😉

That's the one thing I missed most with my old Windows phone, and it certainly fits with Apple's wireless philosophy.

 

[Four oF NINE]

I first saw wireless charging many years ago in Helsinki airport. Built into the table of a food outlet, if you had a compatible phone - you just placed it on the table and voilá.

I'm in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, train stations, airports, on a daily basis...and I'm always in need of finding a socket to charge my iPhone. I carry an external battery, but sometimes that's not convenient.

I'd love to sit down in somewhere like Starbucks and literally just place my iPhone down on the table to charge whilst I drink my coffee.

Do you really think that Starbucks and whoever else will be more likely to install wireless charging pads than standard outlets in convenient locations?

 

[Will22]

Rather NOT see wireless charging.

1. Still has wire to the pad.
2. Takes longer, less efficient. Consumes energy turning into heat.
3. I sometimes use my device while charging. With long cables I bought it is easy.
4. Don't believe phone can have metal back as inductance would be interrupted by metal.
5. Inductance coil inside device would take up room, so either bigger phone or give up something else inside device.
6. Small charger easier to travel with as opposed to the inductance pad. Still need cable for both.

1. You can get a wireless charging battery pack so no wires, Nokia DC50
2. If it is done right and you don't use cheap wireless chargers then is looses a small amount.
3. You can pick the phone up and use it.
4. Wrong
5. 1-1.5mm
6. Again Nokia DC50 is your option.

Personally I would prefer something like VOOC charging like I had on my Oppo Find 7 that was able to charge the 3000mAh battery in 50 minutes from empty.

 

[springsup]

I first saw wireless charging many years ago in Helsinki airport. Built into the table of a food outlet, if you had a compatible phone - you just placed it on the table and voilá.

I'm in bars, restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, train stations, airports, on a daily basis...and I'm always in need of finding a socket to charge my iPhone. I carry an external battery, but sometimes that's not convenient.

I'd love to sit down in somewhere like Starbucks and literally just place my iPhone down on the table to charge whilst I drink my coffee.

Yeah that's exactly why Apple shouldn't do it.

You just described a real problem that people have: their batteries don't last very long and they constantly need to top-up. One solution is to build in wireless charging, so that people can sometimes sip small amounts of power while they're outside (although they'll need to sit and wait for a long time until it charges). The other solution is to increase the battery's capacity.

Wireless charging isn't that great: it's much slower than wired charging, is wasteful of electricity and hence money and the environment, and is even less efficient if the coils on each side are not properly aligned (as they often won't be). The connection can also keep breaking if you have a thicker case around your phone.

It's better to focus on improving the battery storage density and charging time. If we think about making this decision in 5 years time, when both technologies have developed: a larger battery could obviate the need for wireless charging, but wireless charging will never obviate the need for a large battery.

It may have been more convenient for people with this iteration of the iPhone if it had wireless charging, but it's a stopgap technology until batteries improve further.

 

[willmtaylor]

Another consideration is cases. So many folks use cases, and wireless charging would require them to take them off every time or simply not use them. This obviously wouldn't be a concern for Apple, as they would probably make more on a proprietary Apple charging dock than they would a case, but it would be a pragmatic concern for many users.

 

[mattopotamus]

I still don't see how this is useful.

It makes perfect sense for smaller appliances (like smartwatches) and I think would be amazing for things like laptops, but tablets and phones? Why? You can't use the device while it's charging easily. I can take a private phone call when plugged in, but I can't when "wireless charging".

Not to mention, it's not "wireless charging", because I still see a wire. There's patents for TRUE wireless charging, including an upcoming case that charges your phones with ions from the air, so when that becomes a thing I'll be impressed, but I not once ever used wireless charging on any of my phones because I just didn't find how it could be useful.

In the middle of the night if I get a phone call or want to look at my phone, it is way easier to just lift it off a wireless charger than either a) break my neck trying to stay plugged in, or b) unplugging the phone in the dark and trying to replug it in afterwards.

Once my phone is plugged in and charging I hate rolling over to look at it b.c I feel tethered to the cord.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Wireless Charging is not a deal breaker for me. I can see it coming one day but I can wait for it with no problem. It would be convenient but plugging and unplugging is so easy and been doing it for many years.

I do not think a non-metallic case would effect the wireless charging. Not sure if Apple could keep the aluminum back though.

 

[HEK]

1. You can get a wireless charging battery pack so no wires, Nokia DC50
2. If it is done right and you don't use cheap wireless chargers then is looses a small amount.
3. You can pick the phone up and use it.
4. Wrong
5. 1-1.5mm
6. Again Nokia DC50 is your option.

Personally I would prefer something like VOOC charging like I had on my Oppo Find 7 that was able to charge the 3000mAh battery in 50 minutes from empty.

1. So should I want to get wireless charging for the battery pack, to plug into wireless phone charger pad so I can wirelessly charge phone. REALLY?

2. My preference is to put as much energy into actual charging as opposed to overcoming resistance. I even go so far as use shortest charging cable if I am not using phone while charging. Longer cord, more resistance, longer charge. You can argue amount, but loss still exists.

3. Dahh, I realize you can pick up phone and use it. But then it isn't charging. When I plug my phone in and use it, it is still charging. And since I use 2.1 amp iPad chargers, it is charging at a fast rate.

4. In past phones using inductance charging pads used glass or plastic backs. It appears one manufacturer has managed to charge through metal back. Be curious to see if the efficiency is reduced through metal enclosure. Would they have patent on this? Will Apple Pay royalties?

5. With Apple's desire clearly directed at thin. Seems unlikely, but they tend to surprise. However if they give up one to two millimeters, I'm with the bigger battery crowd. Give me two day use for average usage and I would be completely satisfied. I charge every night, and quite frankly, I don't see any great advantage to laying on a pad vs plugging it in.

The plug has to be reversible, that is only thing that bugs me about charging any of my devises. The non Apple ones. So hurry up and get all USB reversible. I should get it right 50% of the time, but for some reason feels like 3/4 of time I get USB upside down.

6. Nokia will never be my option. I am too satisfied with overall performance of and integration of Apple products. MacBook Pros, iPads, iPhones, iPods, AirPort Extreme, Apple TV, iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Find Friends.

I freely admit, Apple got me. ease of use, cross talk, universal upgrades, seductively drew me in and I am stuck like Woolley Mammoth in La Brea Tar Pit. Don't consider myself a fan boy, as I have had some issues from time to time. Just observing that for most part seamless integration has worked as a strategy for Apple.

One last comment about my latest favorite feature. Upgraded to iOS 9 yesterday and implemented ad blockers in Safari. So much faster loading of web sites without the over, under, right side, on top of advertising. Macrumors flies again! 🙂

 

[Will22]

1. So should I want to get wireless charging for the battery pack, to plug into wireless phone charger pad so I can wirelessly charge phone. REALLY?

2. My preference is to put as much energy into actual charging as opposed to overcoming resistance. I even go so far as use shortest charging cable if I am not using phone while charging. Longer cord, more resistance, longer charge. You can argue amount, but loss still exists.

3. Dahh, I realize you can pick up phone and use it. But then it isn't charging. When I plug my phone in and use it, it is still charging. And since I use 2.1 amp iPad chargers, it is charging at a fast rate.

4. In past phones using inductance charging pads used glass or plastic backs. It appears one manufacturer has managed to charge through metal back. Be curious to see if the efficiency is reduced through metal enclosure. Would they have patent on this? Will Apple Pay royalties?

5. With Apple's desire clearly directed at thin. Seems unlikely, but they tend to surprise. However if they give up one to two millimeters, I'm with the bigger battery crowd. Give me two day use for average usage and I would be completely satisfied. I charge every night, and quite frankly, I don't see any great advantage to laying on a pad vs plugging it in.

The plug has to be reversible, that is only thing that bugs me about charging any of my devises. The non Apple ones. So hurry up and get all USB reversible. I should get it right 50% of the time, but for some reason feels like 3/4 of time I get USB upside down.

6. Nokia will never be my option. I am too satisfied with overall performance of and integration of Apple products. MacBook Pros, iPads, iPhones, iPods, AirPort Extreme, Apple TV, iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Find Friends.

I freely admit, Apple got me. ease of use, cross talk, universal upgrades, seductively drew me in and I am stuck like Woolley Mammoth in La Brea Tar Pit. Don't consider myself a fan boy, as I have had some issues from time to time. Just observing that for most part seamless integration has worked as a strategy for Apple.

One last comment about my latest favorite feature. Upgraded to iOS 9 yesterday and implemented ad blockers in Safari. So much faster loading of web sites without the over, under, right side, on top of advertising. Macrumors flies again! 🙂

1. With the DC50 you don't need to plug it into the phone. You only plug it in to charge the actual DC50 and you would get two changes on your iPhone 6 to one charge of the DC50

2. I totally see your point although I wouldn't necessarily go along with it because if you're going to try save energy/use energy with the least output then go with solar.

3. Goes without saying.

4. I think it is actually Qualcomm that figured it out. Why wouldn't Apple Pay royalties anyway, they pay them already to the likes of Microsoft.

5. I agree completely with you and I would prefer a slightly thicker iPhone so as to get a bigger battery. I don't charge overnight mainly because I can charge my iP6 in 1h30m using my Air 2 charger.

I use an apple dock to charge my phone but yes having other phones that use micro USB it is a pain having to look to see what way it goes in. Again yes you would think it would be 50/50 but like when I drop my toast on the floor it is usually the buttered side that hits the floor first. This is where we get another instance of Apple doing it right/better.

6. I don't get your reasoning behind that, the Nokia DC50 is only a wireless charging battery pack so you wouldn't have to change your phone to use it(if Apple had wireless charging)

Your Wolley Mammoth comment, never heard that saying before but I will be using it in the future. I love funny sayings like that so thanks for it.

I have been using a bypass way of getting an Adblock on my iPad and iPhone for ages now but it only works when on wifi. I only updated my Air 2 to iOS 9 a few hours ago but I'm going to look into these Adblock apps in a bit to find the best one. So far I love the update but I'm not updating my iP6 because I have it jailbroken. What ad blocker are you using?

 

[Will22]

Another consideration is cases. So many folks use cases, and wireless charging would require them to take them off every time or simply not use them. This obviously wouldn't be a concern for Apple, as they would probably make more on a proprietary Apple charging dock than they would a case, but it would be a pragmatic concern for many users.

I have used cases and wireless charging in the past when I used cases with my Nokia phones. People have also imbedded wireless charger in the underside of tables so that they can charge their phones when they are on the table without having to have the charger itself on the top of the table.

Another option would be what Nokia used to do with their phones that didn't have wireless charging built in, they had a case that had the charging coils in the case, see Nokia 925 or 1020 for instance.

 

[maflynn]

Another consideration is cases. So many folks use cases, and wireless charging would require them to take them off every time or simply not use them. This obviously wouldn't be a concern for Apple, as they would probably make more on a proprietary Apple charging dock than they would a case, but it would be a pragmatic concern for many users.

I don't think that matters I had a case on my Lumia and it worked. I'm sure some ultra protective cases would impact charging but I believe the majority of cases should be fine.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

With the thin wireless receiver I have ordered for my Iphone 6S Plus, there are postings that say it works under the Apple leather case. Looking forward to it. My plan B is to use my 12 South dock I had for my Iphone 6.

 

[nickchallis92]

The Note 5/Edge+ charges faster wirelessly than the iPhone 6+ does with a cable. FACT.

In fact, it seems the Note5/Edge+ with their 3,000mAh batteries charge faster via fast wireless charging that the iPhone 6 does with its 1800mAh battery with a cable.