Wireless charging

[virginblue4]

So we all know that the Apple Watches use inductive charging (which is wireless charging). However, there are many on this forum who are convinced that inductive charging and wireless charging are not the same thing.

Try putting your charger up against the back of the Apple Watch so that you feel the magnetic pull, but don't actually let the watch and the charger touch. You'll see that it begins to charge - wirelessly.

Just thought I'd bring this up because of the multiple people who continued to tell me and others that we were wrong

 

[CobraPA]

Well, I think maybe they are thinking that wireless charging that requires the adapter to be in contact, or within 2mm of the Watch, is pretty close to wired charging.

You can't drop the watch on your charging table and have it charge (yet) without placing it on the adapter.

You can't wave your arm in the air and have it charge (that's really wireless.)

 

[techguy9]

So we all know that the Apple Watches use inductive charging (which is wireless charging). However, there are many on this forum who are convinced that inductive charging and wireless charging are not the same thing.

Try putting your charger up against the back of the Apple Watch so that you feel the magnetic pull, but don't actually let the watch and the charger touch. You'll see that it begins to charge - wirelessly.

Just thought I'd bring this up because of the multiple people who continued to tell me and others that we were wrong

You are very right! Still can't get that some people don't believe that it's actually wireless charging .

 

[virginblue4]

Well, I think maybe they are thinking that wireless charging that requires the adapter to be in contact, or within 2mm of the Watch, is pretty close to wired charging.



You can't drop the watch on your charging table and have it charge (yet) without placing it on the adapter.



You can't wave your arm in the air and have it charge (that's really wireless.)

I understand, but regardless of how small the gap is, the fact that there is no contact between the watch and the charger constitutes wireless charging.

 

[techguy9]

Well, I think maybe they are thinking that wireless charging that requires the adapter to be in contact, or within 2mm of the Watch, is pretty close to wired charging.

You can't drop the watch on your charging table and have it charge (yet) without placing it on the adapter.

You can't wave your arm in the air and have it charge (that's really wireless.)

But is there a wire going from the watch to the "connector"? No!

----------

I understand, but regardless of how small the gap is, the fact that there is no contact between the watch and the charger constitutes wireless charging.

You are very correct!

 

[Julien]

Put a piece of paper between the puck and the Watch and it will still charge. This is called paper charging.

 

[H3rman]

While you are TECHNICALLY correct (depending how you look at it), it is not properly wireless charging. By definition wireless charging has no wires. The charging puck does have a wire from the wall socket to the end of the puck, so again, TECHNICALLY not wireless either.

However I think when most people say wireless they mean the ability to simply plug something into a wall socket (without wires) that emits enough energy as radio waves to charge you phone, watch, laptop, etc by simply having them in the same room as said charging plug, and not 2mm away.

Like I said. While having it 2mm away and still charging is technically still wireless, it's about a useful a normal wired charging. The whole point of wireless charging is that you device shouldn't need to be that close to the charger. If it has to be that close the convenience factor of wireless is eradicated.

 

[Julien]

While you are TECHNICALLY correct (depending how you look at it), it is not properly wireless charging. By definition wireless charging has no wires.....

You mean starting from the power generator?

 

[fischersd]

Like I said. While having it 2mm away and still charging is technically still wireless, it's about a useful a normal wired charging. The whole point of wireless charging is that you device shouldn't need to be that close to the charger. If it has to be that close the convenience factor of wireless is eradicated.

+1 I keep hoping that Apple would do it that we have mouse-pad like charging pads.

Then, you get that built into your coffee table...or slip covers for the arm wrests of your couch. (charging the watch while still on your wrist...now wouldn't THAT be cool!)

 

[samiznaetekto]

While you are TECHNICALLY correct (depending how you look at it), it is not properly wireless charging. By definition wireless charging has no wires. The charging puck does have a wire from the wall socket to the end of the puck, so again, TECHNICALLY not wireless either.

However I think when most people say wireless they mean the ability to simply plug something into a wall socket (without wires) that emits enough energy as radio waves to charge you phone, watch, laptop, etc by simply having them in the same room as said charging plug, and not 2mm away.

Like I said. While having it 2mm away and still charging is technically still wireless, it's about a useful a normal wired charging. The whole point of wireless charging is that you device shouldn't need to be that close to the charger. If it has to be that close the convenience factor of wireless is eradicated.

+1

In current implementation, it's essentially a MagSafe without contacts. Quasiwireless.

 

[Julien]

+1

In current implementation, it's essentially a MagSafe without contacts. Quasiwireless.

That is a little like being a quasivirgin. Either it has wires directly connecting the charger to the device or it doesn't. There is no in-between.

 

[gr8tfly]

While you are TECHNICALLY correct (depending how you look at it), it is not properly wireless charging. By definition wireless charging has no wires. The charging puck does have a wire from the wall socket to the end of the puck, so again, TECHNICALLY not wireless either.

However I think when most people say wireless they mean the ability to simply plug something into a wall socket (without wires) that emits enough energy as radio waves to charge you phone, watch, laptop, etc by simply having them in the same room as said charging plug, and not 2mm away.

Like I said. While having it 2mm away and still charging is technically still wireless, it's about a useful a normal wired charging. The whole point of wireless charging is that you device shouldn't need to be that close to the charger. If it has to be that close the convenience factor of wireless is eradicated.

It's not physically possible to just suck sufficient power out of the air. Not going to happen. Look up inverse square law, for starters.

Anyway, the Apple Watch wireless charger does indeed use induction as a means of transferring energy inside the watch housing. It's also more efficient than a randomly placed "mat" type of wireless charging. The magnet is simply a way of keeping the charging puck attached and centered (it needs to be aligned with the internal receiver coil to work properly). It would be possible for the watch to detect the charger at much greater distances, but it would be pointless because you wouldn't get enough power to charge at any acceptable rate.

The only way true wireless charging would happen is if charging were no longer a concern due to power source improvements. Not likely to happen anytime soon, unless someone knows of a stock of di-lithium crystals. #

 

[samiznaetekto]

That is a little like being a quasivirgin. Either it has wires directly connecting the charger to the device or it doesn't. There is no in-between.

By your logic, we are all levitating above ground because there are gaps between atoms.

Yes, the gap between our feet and ground is there, but it's so small and so limiting that we don't call it levitation. We're still "wired" to the ground.

 

[oddysea992]

By your logic, we are all levitating above ground because there are gaps between atoms.

Yes, the gap between our feet and ground is there, but it's so small and so limiting that we don't call it levitation. We're still "wired" to the ground.

At least there is some logic ... This is not hard to understand: If the power is passed to the watch electronics using a copper wire then it is wired. If the power is passed through induction it is wireless. Physics 101.

The charging is wireless. To say it is anything else is ignorant.

 

[Michael CM1]

It's all semantics. Unless you hold your phone up to sunlight and it charges, there are wires involved somewhere. Even then there might be tiny little wires inside the phone.

I think the main goal of moving any sort of wireless charging forward is to not require you to find the end of a cord and plug it into a port. I'd say the mats that allow you to do that by just lying a phone on a desk are what we want. An inductive, magnetic connector is kind of an in-between, but better than the iPhone/iPad charging method.

Now you really need to get someone on wireless charging that works like wireless networking. I have an "outlet" in my room and if my MacBook is within 10 or 20 feet it charges but I don't. Then you've got something. I figure that's theoretically possible, but I didn't do well enough in physics to quite understand it. We've got all sorts of waves, photons and energy passing through us. But none of it is in the level needed to charge any of these devices.

 

[Julien]

...I think the main goal of moving any sort of wireless charging forward is to not require you to find the end of a cord and plug it into a port. I'd say the mats that allow you to do that by just lying a phone on a desk are what we want. An inductive, magnetic connector is kind of an in-between, but better than the iPhone/iPad charging method....

The mats that charge by laying a device on them also use wireless inductive charging. Apple just chose to add MagSafe to attach the charging puck ("mat") to the back of the watch. This insures the best efficiency and a true fit. I bet we see 3ed part chargers (if allowed) that don't use a MagSafe type attachment that you just lay your Watch on.