Wired Vs. Wireless Charging: Which One Is Better? (Writer's Series Vol. 1)
Wireless charging has started to become more and more prevalent over the last few years. The iPhone 8 was the design that kickstarted wireless charging in the consciousness of the general public, even if Apple weren’t the first to develop and use the technology. So, let’s take a look at wired vs. wireless. Which one is better?
Wireless Is The Future
Rather than plug your device into a cable, wireless charging allows you to simply drop your device on a dock or mat and it charges without any further intervention. This is much easier than the current method of wired charging. It saves time, which is a major factor for many people. We want life to get easier all the time. Even the simple few seconds that wired charging takes is seen as something to be eliminated with wireless charging tech. But what are the other reasons people are looking to wireless charging as the future?
Reasons Wireless Charging Is Better
No more fiddly cables is a major influencing factor in people’s decision to look to wireless. You have to look for the cable, ensure it is the right way and then sometimes fiddle with the cable to ensure it sits just right so your charge starts. It looks so neat and tidy just to have a charging mat sat on the desk (obviously there are cables to plug this in) and is much easier to use. Simply place it there and you get a charge – perfect for someone who is up and down to a desk all the time.
Charging multiple devices at any one time is possible with a wireless charging mat. Rather than having to look for cables for each device (and ensure that there are enough plug sockets for them) you can simply place them all on the wireless charging mat. Pretty simple, eh?
Wear and tear is another reason to look for wireless. The act of putting the cable into your phone and then taking it out again several times a day starts to degrade the port of the phone. It is one of the main reasons people need a repair on their phone. Wireless charging takes away the need to perform this act. Another benefit of this is the fact that manufacturers can seal off the phone, making is less susceptible to dust as well as making the truly waterproof phone a thing of reality.
Data security is fast becoming a concern for most. Every time you plug your device into another device, the risk of data transfer increases. We all use our laptop or desktop to get a charge on our phone from time to time. Linking your phone to your laptop is a potential security risk. Linking to free public USB charging points is even riskier. Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? Well, it’s best to take as few risks as possible, so wireless helps to eliminate that possibility.
Aesthetics are important to us. If you buy a phone because of the way it looks, then it follows that you want it to look great all the time. Wireless charging gives a much cleaner and prettier look that all those wires everywhere. Charging cables look messy on their own and look positively cluttered when there are a bunch of them.
Wired Charging Is Still Here
So, with all the benefits outlined above, you wonder why wireless charging isn’t everywhere. Wired charging is still as we speak the most used way of charging devices. And there aren’t signs that the changeover to wireless charging is happening at a fast rate yet. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the downsides to wireless charging.
Drawbacks To Wireless Charging
Speed of charge is probably the most important factor when choosing a method of charging a device. If you only have a limited amount of time, then you want that charge to happen quickly. That’s the only reason why fast charge cables have become so popular. And research shows that wireless charging doesn’t happen nearly as quickly as wired charging. In fact, the tests at the moment show that wireless charging takes around twice the time as wired. For most of us, we want progress rather than a step backward. That’s going back a few years in terms of charging speeds.
Heat has become the hot topic (pun intended) in online discussions regarding wireless charging. Heating up a battery causes it to degrade and lose a little power next time. Over a period of time, the battery becomes less efficient. It’s a different kind of wear and tear to the issues with the cable and port caused by wired charging. Technology is working to improve the way power is delivered and the way batteries degrade.
Cost becomes the deciding factor with many people. If wired charging solutions are significantly cheaper, then people will plump for that, even given the benefits of wireless charging outlined above. At the moment, the cost of a wireless charger is around twice the cost of a wired alternative. But the price is dropping day by day, so wireless will be the product of choice in the near future.
So, Which Is Better?
Great question. There is no doubt that wired charging holds the market at the moment. It is stable technology that has been developed over a decade or more. But there is also no doubt that wireless charging is the future. Brands such as Starbucks are investing in wireless mats built into their tables so people can make the most of this tech. The downsides of wireless charging are temporary and will be resolved by advances in innovation over the next few years. That makes wireless charging the future.