Wireless charging allows us to recharge the phone battery without cables that keep it connected to the current. Simply place it on a compatible charger and the battery will automatically fill up. But what should we look for when choosing a wireless charger? Are they all good for your phone or your watch? What should we take into account when buying one?
If you are looking to buy a wireless charger, there are many options that we can take into account and we will show you what you should look for before buying one, what different models are on the market or what their differences are.
What is wireless charging and how does it work?
The first thing we must take into account is what wireless charging is or how it works. You may have seen it in the specifications of your new mobile phone but it is not very clear to us what it is or how this function works for the smartphone. As its name suggests, wireless charging allows the battery of a device to be recharged without the need for a cable connected to it. It is done by contact through a specialized charger that allows it.
How? The power is achieved by electromagnetic induction, through a transmitting coil . In the charging device there is a transmitter coil and in the device to be charged there is a coil that will function as a receiver. The connection between the two allows the phone to charge, although the road to achieving quality in this technology has been long and many drawbacks have been found, such as the position in which the mobile is placed or the slower process than if we use the conventional cable. …
What should we consider
There are a number of aspects that we must take into account when choosing a wireless charger. We must look at compatibility with the charging standard, at the maximum speed that the charger reaches, but also at the design or the type of devices that we are going to place on it to recharge the battery.
charging standards
The main thing to keep in mind is that there are different charging standards. Just as you charge a mobile phone or another with a USB-C or microUSB cable or specialized cables from Apple, the same goes for the charging standard. There is no universal standard, although there is, as with cables, a more popular one: the Qi standard.
There are several wireless charging options and different standards such as PMA or WattUp, but it is usually the Qi standard that is used by all manufacturers in the different mobile phones or smartwatches. It is the most widespread worldwide and it is the one that we will find in practically all the chargers that you are going to buy. In addition, we must bear in mind that if the phone allows wireless charging, the phone will be compatible with the Qi standard, so we should not worry.
Even so, it is worth knowing that there are others and that they have advantages… For example, Wattup allows wireless charging in devices that are far from the charger without the need to place it on top or be in contact. Or Samsung has its own idea of a wireless system, although its mobiles are also compatible with the Qi standard, so you can use the multiple chargers on sale.
Speed and reload time
This is also essential when choosing a new wireless charger because we always want to have our phone ready in the shortest possible time, that the charging time lasts a short time and to be able to go out. But the speed of wireless charging is much slower than going for cable. In addition, we must take into account two factors: the speed of the charger you use matters, but also the maximum speed that your phone supports when charging wirelessly.
We can first see the specifications of the mobile… For example, the Xiaomi 12 Pro promises a 50W turbo wireless charge but it will depend on the range and brand of the phone, the model we are charging. Look at their specifications to find out how much is the most they will allow you.
In addition, it is not only what the phone offers at most that matters, but also what the charger offers at most . You cannot take advantage of the capacity of your high-end smartphone with a basic and cheap charger, so it is recommended that this be one of the first things you look at when buying what is going to be your wireless charger: the more it offers, the better . Although generally the ones we will find are between 10W and 15W in most cases.
How many devices are you going to charge or which ones
As we will see in the previous paragraph or section, it will depend on the number of devices you want to charge that we use one model or another since there are some wireless chargers that allow us up to two or three or four devices at a time. For example, the mat format allows us to leave them all at once.
In addition, it also influences if you have several different devices… Why? It will depend on what you want to charge that we are going to have one charger or another. A classic charger in “stand” format will not work if you also want to charge headphones or a watch. So knowing how many devices you have to charge is essential, but also what kind of devices are we going to recharge here: only mobiles? headphones too? just your watch? Keep that in mind.
Design or format
It may seem a less relevant aspect than the previous ones, but it is interesting to take this into account when choosing a wireless charger for any device because it will vary depending on the place where you want to charge it or the devices that we have to charge at the same time… many different models and it will be different if you want a wireless charger for the car, for example, or if you just want a mat where you can leave the devices and let them charge. It depends on the space, the devices, what you like.
We can find a wireless charger to place in the bedroom and that is an alarm clock base as well as a charging station, for example. We can find wireless chargers with a mat design or the classic round wireless charger where we can place our mobile phone. Other mounts include a ledge for your smartwatch…
It will also depend on where you are going to place it if aesthetics bothers you, for example. If we want it to be elegant or fit in with the decoration of your living room, although it will always be a less important or decisive factor than the standard or speed.
which model to buy
As we have explained in previous paragraphs, it will depend on what you are looking for that you choose one model or another. It will depend on your devices, your power…
Wireless charging pads
The most basic thing if you are looking exclusively to charge your mobile phone is to use wireless charging bases that work as a stand for the mobile. In other words, we can place it standing on the base and it will stay on the support while the battery is charging … There are models of all prices and all formats available.
They are a good option to charge the phone while we are watching a series or movie on the mobile or to recharge the battery while we are on a video call.
Multiple charging stations
They are wireless charging stations and chargers that allow us to use different devices at the same time. They can have a base for the mobile phone, a section to place or hang your smart watch and a base for your wireless headphones. Some, in addition, we can find them with an alarm clock so they are ideal to place on the bedside table in our room…
There are all kinds of options according to colors, format or speed… But all of them allow us to use different devices and are designed to place each one in its place.
charging mat
We can use charging mats that allow us to place different phones on it as well as other devices compatible with this type of charging. It is comfortable since it is enough to leave them on the surface. In addition, they usually take up little space and there are even mouse pads on the computer that are also pads for charging devices.
There are mats of all prices, from Logitech professional models for more than 100 euros to other much more affordable models for 20 or 30 euros…