While very Convenient: Wireless Charging Is Wildly Inefficient

There’s no denying the convenience of wireless charging, but keep in mind that it’s extremely inefficient compared to wired charging.

September 23, 2021

In 2017, Apple added support for Qi wireless charging to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, and with the iPhone 12 lineup, it introduced its own MagSafe wireless charging technology. There’s no denying the convenience of wireless charging, but keep in mind that it’s extremely inefficient compared to wired charging. Individually, that may not matter much when you’re charging overnight from a wall-connected charger. But across billions of phones, it’s more problematic. One estimate suggests that wireless charging requires nearly 50% more power than cable. And if you’re charging from a wireless battery pack, wasting that juice means less of a top-up before exhausting the battery pack. Charging speed suffers too. In short, to charge your iPhone quickly and efficiently, whether from a wall-connected charger or a battery pack, stick with the traditional Lightning cable.

(Featured image by iStock.com/grinvalds)

You May Also Like…

Make Emojis Easier with Text Replacements

Finding and entering a desired emoji can be tedious. For those you like to use regularly, creating a text replacement lets you type a few characters to get a particular emoji quickly and easily.

read more

Apple Explains Its Approach to Device Longevity

Apple has published a white paper that offers an illuminating look at how the company works to increase device longevity while balancing environmental impact, protecting customer privacy and safety, and enabling transparency in repair.

read more