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Call me pedantic, but both these mats have wires. Truly can't see the point in having to put a device on a mat to charge as really no more convenient than plugging it in to an cable in the same location. Only place I can see a use is in a car, place it in a compartment in the centre console and have it charge while you drive.
Good point. Not sure if this is the only car company that does this but GMC has what you refer to built into the center console cover (albeit only for one device)
 
Call me pedantic, but both these mats have wires. Truly can't see the point in having to put a device on a mat to charge as really no more convenient than plugging it in to an cable in the same location. Only place I can see a use is in a car, place it in a compartment in the centre console and have it charge while you drive.

I had two SE's fail to charge reliably after a year each of plugging in constantly. My XR, though, peacefully rests on my charger, no wires to connect. Much more convenient and reliable over the long term.
 
After reading that  had problems with the temperature in a similar device I would be very careful trusting this mat from an unknown company.
If one of the other big brands came with a device like this I would be less hesative to buy it.

1. The Dutch have companies like philips/ASML/NXP, you think they are not capable of creating a mat.
Your User name suggest you are Dutch, if that is the case you should be aware of the Tech in Eindhoven.
Creating a mat seems a whole lot easier than EUV lithography invented by ASML or other inventions made in Eindhoven.
2. It's not like this is an El Cheapo Chinese brand.
 
Call me pedantic, but both these mats have wires. Truly can't see the point in having to put a device on a mat to charge as really no more convenient than plugging it in to an cable in the same location. Only place I can see a use is in a car, place it in a compartment in the centre console and have it charge while you drive.

I wouldn’t call you pedantic at all. I thought the same way you did before I converted fully over to wireless charging. I don’t think I’ve plugged anything into my iPhone in over 18 months. The convenience factor is something you’ll only really understand when you use it full time.

BTW, your right about wireless charging in the car. I have a Pitaka case and magnetic qi charger in my car, and it’s the only way to go.
 
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Call me pedantic, but both these mats have wires. Truly can't see the point in having to put a device on a mat to charge as really no more convenient than plugging it in to an cable in the same location. Only place I can see a use is in a car, place it in a compartment in the centre console and have it charge while you drive.
One wire. We can't beam power without wires in the consumer space just yet. My night stand was a clutter of wires attached to adapters for my iPhone, iPadPro, AppleWatch and iPods. I bought a Nomad Base station and now I"m down to 2 wires; one for the nomad, and the other if I need to top up my iPad overnight. I'm definitely pleased that I no longer have to deal with a tangle of cables and fuss with finding ports to connect with. YMMV
 
I still don’t get it why the hell would you want to wirelessly charge your iPhone. A full charge takes like 2h40mins. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Enable fast wireless charging and then maybe.

You don't sleep? LOL.

I have an Anker charging stand in my studio which holds up (and charges) my phone so I can keep an eye on notifications. A much cheaper solution that the one discussed in the article and the upshot is my phone is pretty much always charged when I need to grab it and go.
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I have a vertical stand on my desk that is really convenient for seeing notifications and using when I don't need lots of juice.

The mats are also pretty fantastic for nightstands, just plop it on when you're ready to sleep.

For the work I do, I can play music and charge at the same time very conveniently, as can anyone else with supported phone models.

It is a different type of convenience that has its use cases.

EXACTLY!
 
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I still don’t get it why the hell would you want to wirelessly charge your iPhone. A full charge takes like 2h40mins. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Enable fast wireless charging and then maybe.
I didn't think I'd be even the slightest bit interested in wireless charging when I got my iPhone 8. Then I tried it, ... and got hooked. It changes the paradigm. You're still thinking in the "wait until it really needs charging and then go through the hassle of plugging it in, and then impatiently tapping your foot for an hour or two while it charges" line of thought (along with "do I go to the effort of unplugging it, or do I let the cord dangle" when you want to look at something for a second). I don't do that any more.

When I sit down, I drop the phone on the charging stand, and it tops up the battery. When I get up, I pick it up. If I want to look at something for a second, I pick up the phone, look at it, and drop it back on the charging stand. There's no plugging/unplugging hassle. There's no waiting, and my phone is more fully charged more of the time. So the "a full charge takes like 2h40mins" thinking becomes meaningless. Faster charging would be a better horse buggy, meanwhile Qi charging is the automobile changing the game. I liked it so much, I got a second Qi charger for the office.
 
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Guys. Seriously. Please. Do some research before bashing a for you unknown company. I mean. Really. ZENS isn’t just some stupid company. After all. They were the first company to launch Qi certified wireless charging products onto the international market. They are also located at one of the best tech locations in The Netherlands.
 
Apple's mistake was simply pre-announcing before they could guarantee a working product at a reasonable price. That's it. They make numerous prototype products that don't meet their standards for one reason or another; the difference is that we usually don't hear about those, and certainly not from Apple itself.
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I didn't think I'd be even the slightest bit interested in wireless charging when I got my iPhone 8. Then I tried it, ... and got hooked. It changes the paradigm. You're still thinking in the "wait until it really needs charging and then go through the hassle of plugging it in, and then impatiently tapping your foot for an hour or two while it charges" line of thought (along with "do I go to the effort of unplugging it, or do I let the cord dangle" when you want to look at something for a second). I don't do that any more.

When I sit down, I drop the phone on the charging stand, and it tops up the battery. When I get up, I pick it up. If I want to look at something for a second, I pick up the phone, look at it, and drop it back on the charging stand. There's no plugging/unplugging hassle. There's no waiting, and my phone is more fully charged more of the time. So the "a full charge takes like 2h40mins" thinking becomes meaningless. Faster charging would be a better horse buggy, meanwhile Qi charging is the automobile changing the game. I liked it so much, I got a second Qi charger for the office.

This is exactly the argument I've always made for Apple's outstanding puck-shaped Apple Watch dock. The net effect of using it is that you feel like you have a normal watch that doesn't ever need charging. When done right, stuff like this can change the user experience much more than one might expect.
 
If you've actually used a wireless charger, you would know the difference. I have one at work and it really is much easier to just drop the phone on the charger when I sit and just grab when I go instead of plugging in and out. I still use the wires at home when I really only plug in overnight.

well I have 4 wireless charger including Belkins and Logitech LOGI which is by far one of the best charger but guess what .... I do not even look at them at all ... due to slow charging ... I have 4 USB C charger with apple dock and And boy they charge my phone 100 % in less then 30 minute ...I will
Never use anything else ever other then USB C
 
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There's a huge benefit of charging wirelessly (Slow charge), it degrades your battery less than fast charging, Lithium ion is susceptible to high temperature, the slower charging is better for Lithium cells, they last longer.
 
I have 4 USB C charger with apple dock and And boy they charge my phone 100 % in less then 30 minute ...I will never use anything else ever other then USB C
You're waiting for the phone to charge, which is why charging speed is important to you. I don't care much about charging speed, because it's as easy to set the phone on the charging stand when I sit down as it would be to set it on the table or desk. I don't have to wait for it to charge up from 0 to 100% because it never gets down that far. The Qi charger will take my phone from 90% to 100% faster than your fast USB C charger will take it from 0 to 100%, and if I need to look at something, or unexpectedly need to leave... it was already at 90%, so it's no big deal. If you use wireless charging this way, charging speed is meaningless. You're optimizing something that no longer matters.
 
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Call me pedantic, but both these mats have wires. Truly can't see the point in having to put a device on a mat to charge as really no more convenient than plugging it in to an cable in the same location. Only place I can see a use is in a car, place it in a compartment in the centre console and have it charge while you drive.
It’s not that you’re a pedant, but you do misunderstand what is meant by wireless. It doesn’t refer to the connection between the charger and the wall, rather it’s wireless between the charger and the device to be charged. I’m not sure why that’s so confusing to you, after all the charging mat doesn’t somehow magically generate its own power.

I guess the question is whether you really do think that plugging in a wireless charging mat once—when you bring it home from the store—is actually no more convenient than plugging in AirPods and your iPhone a couple thousand times over the next few years. To me, they’re not even remotely equivalent. On the one hand, you only need one finger to count; on the other hand, you need two thousand fingers. Where are you going to get two thousand fingers? That doesn’t sound very convenient.

It’s interesting that you seem to understand why it’s convenient in the car, but not at the office or at home. What is it about the car that’s so different from a home or office?

I really don’t understand your thinking here, and based on the responses upthread, I’m obviously not alone in that. Not having to plug in your devices thousands of times over the next few years is either convenient or it’s not. What difference does it make whether your surrounded by rich Corinthian leather in your Chrysler Cordoba or not?
 
1. The Dutch have companies like philips/ASML/NXP, you think they are not capable of creating a mat.
Your User name suggest you are Dutch, if that is the case you should be aware of the Tech in Eindhoven.
Creating a mat seems a whole lot easier than EUV lithography invented by ASML or other inventions made in Eindhoven.
2. It's not like this is an El Cheapo Chinese brand.
I know the Dutch companies, but that does not mean all Dutch products are great. Take Trust for example.
 
I still don’t get it why the hell would you want to wirelessly charge your iPhone. A full charge takes like 2h40mins. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Enable fast wireless charging and then maybe.

Chill out. If time is of the essence, then a wireless charger is not even relevant, thus that detail is not relevant here. This is about convenience, not speed.
 
So if these guys can do it, why couldn't Apple? What's different here?

Their CEO isn’t Tim Cook and doesn’t lack vision.
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My 2 $5 chargers work just perfectly. No way I’m spending $140

Just like $10 earbuds worked just perfectly, no way anyone is dropping 200000x more on AirPods? Nobody needs this the same way nobody needed those. It’s all just a brainwashing thing to create new markets out of an imaginary need.
 
The amount of R&D dollars that goe into frivolous overpriced accessories like this never ceases to amaze me.

A standard charging mat is fine. Get a second one for your AirPods and save $120 vs one of these. Or just plug in the cable. AirPods do not need to be charged all that often.
 
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