{"id":2011,"date":"2017-11-20T05:19:43","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T05:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tienda-baterias.es\/blog\/?p=2011"},"modified":"2017-11-20T05:20:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T05:20:00","slug":"how-does-wireless-charging-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tienda-baterias.es\/blog\/archives\/2011","title":{"rendered":"How Does Wireless Charging Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wireless charging is set to become more popular with the adoption of Qi wireless charging in Apple\u2019s iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. It\u2019s also found on some Android phones, like Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S7.<\/p>\n

Most wireless chargers use magnetic induction and magnetic resonance. They offer the promise of being able to place a device on a surface and have it charge automatically\u2014no fiddling with cables required.<\/p>\n

How Wireless Charging Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wireless charging isn\u2019t truly wireless, of course. Your phone, smart watch, tablet, wireless headphones, or other device doesn\u2019t need to be plugged into the charger with a wire, but the wireless charger itself still has to be plugged into a wall outlet to function. When the iPhone 5 was released without the wireless charging feature found in competing Android and Windows phones at the time, Apple\u2019s Phil Schiller argued that \u201chaving to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated\u201d.<\/p>\n

Five years later, Apple has changed its mind. With the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, Apple is including support for wireless charging using the Qi open standard. (It\u2019s pronounced \u201cchee\u201d as it\u2019s a Chinese word that refers to the \u201clife energy\u201d in living things.)<\/p>\n

Wireless chargers typically use magnetic induction. The short explanation is that they use magnetism to transmit energy. First, you place the device\u2013like a smartphone\u2014on the wireless charger. The current coming from the wall power outlet moves through the wire in the wireless charger, creating a magnetic field. The magnetic field creates a current in the coil inside the device sitting on the wireless charger. This magnetic energy is converted to electrical energy, which is used to charge the battery. Devices must have the appropriate hardware in them to support wireless charging\u2014a device without the necessary coil can\u2019t charge wirelessly.<\/p>\n

While the Qi standard was originally limited to magnetic induction, it now also supports magnetic resonance. This works similarly, but the device can be up to 45mm away from the wireless charger\u2019s surface rather than touching it directly. This is less efficient than magnetic induction, but there are some advantages\u2014for example, a wireless charger could be mounted under a table\u2019s surface and you could place a device on the table to charge it. It also allows you to place multiple devices on a single charging pad, and have all of them charge at once.<\/p>\n

When not actively charging, the Qi charger doesn\u2019t consume the maximum amount of power. Instead, it uses a smaller amount of power and, when it detects a device is placed on the charger, it increases the energy output.<\/p>\n

Competing Standards: Qi vs. Powermat vs. Rezence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wireless charging is becoming more and more common, and even more standardized. And for once, Apple didn\u2019t create its own wireless standard. Instead, it chose to support the existing Qi standard, which many other devices also support.<\/p>\n

However, Qi isn\u2019t the only standard around. The Qi standard, which is owned by the Wireless Power Consortium, is ahead, but it\u2019s not alone. In second place is the Power Matters Alliance\u2019s Powermat, or PMA, standard. It uses magnetic induction, like Qi. The two are incompatible, though. An iPhone can\u2019t charge with a PMA wireless charger.<\/p>\n

Some devices are compatible with both, however. Modern Samsung devices like the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S7 actually support both the Qi and PMA standards, and can charge with either. Starbucks bet on PMA, but they may rethink things now that the iPhone only supports Qi. Apple is betting that airports, hotels, and other public locations will also choose to bet on Qi.<\/p>\n

The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP)\u2019s Rezence uses magnetic resonance instead, a feature Qi added later. This allows for greater freedom of positioning. You can have multiple devices on a single charger, move devices around, and even charge devices through an object like a book between the device and the charger. Rezence requires Bluetooth to communicate with the device.<\/p>\n

As the second and third place companies here, the Power Matters Alliance and Alliance for Wireless Power have since rebranded themselves the AirFuel Alliance and are cooperating in an attempt to take on Qi.<\/p>\n

How You Can Use Wireless Charging Today<\/strong><\/p>\n

All the technology aside, getting started with wireless charging is pretty simple. If you want to charge your smartphone wirelessly, you\u2019ll need a smartphone that supports wireless charging and a compatible wireless charging mat to place your phone on. You can also purchase adapters to add wireless charging support to phones that don\u2019t include it.<\/p>\n

Popular smartphones that support wireless charging include:<\/p>\n