Wireless Charging

Charging cables are annoying. They're restrictive, prone to breaking and all-around bad news. Wireless charging technology is just starting to gain ground, and you can use it on a lot of your gadgets. If you put your wireless charging base on your coffee table or next to your bed, you can easily pick up your phone, answer a text, and place it back without finagling with the cord.You can even pair it with a magnetic docking station for easy use and access at home or in the car.

The new iPhone X and iPhone 8 support wireless charging for the first time in an Apple smartphone – but what is it, how does it work and is it worth using?

How do I wirelessly charge my phone?

Wireless charging means, as the name suggests, you no longer need to plug a cable into your smartphone to charge it. Simply placing it face up on a special mat or tabletop is enough to start charging up your smartphone’s battery, be it the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 or any number of different smartphones that support wireless charging.

What do I need?
You need two things. The first is a smartphone that supports wireless charging, or a case that you can put on one to add wireless charging if it doesn’t come built in.

The second is a wireless charger. These little pucks or mats come in various shapes and sizes, from larger mouse mat-like things to small discs built into furniture.

How does it work?

Wireless charging works by transferring energy from the charger to a receiver in the back of the phone via electromagnetic induction. The charger uses an induction coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field, which the receiver coil in the phone converts back into electricity to be fed into the battery.*