Wireless charging is not a new technology as it has been around for more than a decade now. However recently, more smartphone manufacturers have introduced it to their devices and now it is becoming the order of the day. For I phones, the wireless charging feature comes with their recent phones, since the company only launches one model every year, it is quite easy to identify which iPhone has the wireless charging feature. However, for most android brands, wireless charging only accompanies a few of their devices, and almost every smartphone company recently is opting for the Qi standard of wireless charging which has become a preferred choice. One of the advantages of Qi (Pronounced “Chee”) wireless charging is its ability to charge over a distance of up to 4cm, just like other types of wireless chargers, it uses a charging pad together with a device that is compatible with the pad.
What Is Wireless Charging?
Wireless charging is a type of wireless power transfer through inductive charging. Devices that are enabled for wireless charging have a receiver coil and the charging pad has a transmitter coil both creating an electromagnetic field and transmit direct current in the process.
The standard charging capacity for wireless charging is 5W, however with the current speed the world is moving in, no one wants to sit waiting for hours before their battery charges full, hence 5W is really slow.
A lot of android manufacturers have now adjusted this standard using their proprietary rights to enable charging speed up to 30W as is the case of the OnePlus. OnePlus only enabled one of its devices for wireless charging, the OnePlus8 Pro, and gave it the full dose of this experience. This is the fastest wireless charging speed so far. Although there are two disadvantages of this feature. One is how noisy the charger gets because of the inbuilt fans to help vent heat. The second is how you can’t afford to lose or break your charger because any other supplementary wireless charger would charge at 5W. Some Samsung devices like the Galaxy Note 10 and S10 support charge as fast as 12W and the Note10 Plus goes up to 15W.
Which Android Phones Support Wireless Charging?
Just in case wireless charging is top of your priority for features to look out for while getting a new android device in 2021, these are your available options.
FOR GOOGLE
- Pixel 5, Pixel 4, Pixel 4XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL
FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY
- Note 20, Note 20 Ultra, S20, S20 Ultra, S20 FE edition, Fold, Z Fold 2 5G, Z Flip, Flip 5G, Note 10, Note 10 Plus, Note 10 Plus 5G, S10, S10 Plus, S10 e, S10 5G, Note 9, S9 and S9 Plus
FOR SONY XPERIA
- Xperia 1ii, Xperia 10ii, Xperia XZ3, Xperia XZ2, Xperia XZ2 Premium
FOR LG
- Velvet, V60, V50, V40, V35, V7, V30, Wing, G8, G8s, G8X
FOR HUAWEI
- P40, P40 Pro, P30, P30 Pro, Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 RS Porsche design.
FOR XIAOMI
- Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 Lite, Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro, Mi Mix 3
OTHER DEVICES
- ZTE Axon 10 Pro, ZTE Axon 9 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pro, Nokia 9 PureView and Nokia 9 PureView.
What are the Downsides to Wireless Charging?
Most Android manufacturers still use the 5W charging standard even though few others have better capacity. You also have to ensure that your device sits properly on the pad to create the alignment needed. The most inconveniencing fact is that once the phone is charging, taking it off the charging pad would stop it from charging. This however is a great way to learn to patiently let your phone charge, even though a lot of people wouldn’t like it.
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