Since the Apple company has bet on wireless charging for its new iPhone 8 and iPhone X , induction charging has become one of the most fashionable technologies and acclaimed by smartphone users and with this release, the industry of the electronics sector has launched a new range of accessories: wireless chargers (whether charging cradles or external batteries).
The convenience of being able to charge your phone by simply placing it on an induction charger without having to connect it with a cable represents a great advance in the mobile telephony sector.
In addition, this charger, charging cradle or “dock”, can generally be of any shape or size, and can even be integrated into other objects such as a car dashboard or a lamp. The most important thing is that it is a convenient place to be able to place the device.
Before having an overview of the devices that can use wireless charging to get acquainted with the induction chargers available on the market , we will try to explain in a simple way how this charging technology works.
You can also take a look at other chargers as well as their Buyer’s Guides :
What is induction charging?
Before we begin, it should be clarified that induction charging is not magic and does not completely eliminate the use of cables.
The difference is that the cable connects to the charging base and no longer to the phone, which will simply have to be placed on the induction charger, in other words, the induction charging available today is more than contact charging.
Induction charging is not a technology developed by a single manufacturer for a single charger. There are indeed several models including the Qi model designed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and the Powermat model belonging to the Power Matters Alliance ( PMA) .
Both the Qi model and the PMA use electromagnetic induction to power a device that must be placed on the wireless charger. However, PMA differs from Qi by using a lower frequency and less efficient load because the connection protocols are different.
To date, the Qi model is the most used, the most developed and the most efficient , it is for this reason that major manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi… have bet on this technology by releasing their new devices.
In summary, since this is a standard charger that always works the same, just buy a wireless charger that uses Qi technology to power any device that is compatible with this system.
How does induction charging work?
The Qi Induction Charging System works by relating two charging coils and connecting them to each other through a process of magnetic induction, which enables the transfer of energy between the charging cradle and the device to be recharged.
The charging base is physically connected to the electrical network (by a cable) and transfers to its internal coil the necessary electrical energy which, in turn, will be transferred by magnetic induction to the other coil present in the device to be recharged.
At first, the amount of energy transmitted is low enough to be able to connect the two systems and check that they are functioning well according to the Qi standard.
Once this process is completed, the amount of energy transmitted from the cradle increases and the coil in the receiving device converts magnetic energy into electrical energy, thereby charging the battery.
The output power of the coil present in the charging device is controlled by a chip that checks the power levels generated so that they are not higher than those provided by a traditional wall charger: the level of energy generated can be decreased accordingly to avoid overcharging or damage to the phone battery.
This means that if the USB charger of your device charges 5V to 1000 mAh, the wireless charger will therefore charge with a slightly lower power, around 700 mAh to be able to operate in perfect safety.
Is my phone compatible with Qi induction charging?
If you have a latest generation phone or tablet, Qi technology which allows wireless charging is surely integrated. To be sure, you just have to check the manufacturer’s specifications and see if the words “Qi integrated” or “Wireless charge built-in” are indicated there.
Dispositivos compatible con carga inalámbrica Qi There are currently many phones on the market that are compatible with this technology. In this case, it will just be necessary to connect a Qi receiver to the phone to be able to pair it with the wireless charger (the QI receiver must be purchased separately).
It is surprising to see the amount of compatible phones because this technology is not new but has become popular thanks to a greater choice of charging bases and the arrival of Apple on the market.
Features of a wireless charger
So that you can buy a wireless charger with peace of mind, we are going to take a closer look at its characteristics and how it works:
Charger and cable for the charging cradle
As we mentioned before, induction charging is done without a cable to charge the phone, but the wireless charger must be connected to a power source in order to work. Therefore, a USB charger and a micro USB cable will be required to be connected to the charging base.
Usually the charger is not included; unlike the charging cable . For this reason, when choosing your charger, you must take into account the power (W) that it can provide:
For example, if the wireless charging base recognizes 2A, you will have to choose a charger that will be able to provide this current so that the charging of your phone is not too slow on this base.
How to charge the phone?
To charge the phone, simply place it on the base and it will start to charge automatically. The induction charger has an LED indicator that will indicate when the device is charging and if it is correctly positioned on the base.
Fast (10W) and standard (5W) induction charging
Although induction charging is more convenient, it has the disadvantage of being slower than cable charging. Most wireless chargers provide 5W (5V a 1A) of power, while USB chargers provide a minimum of 10W (5V / 2A) and those with Quick Charge 3.0 go up to 18W.
However, we can already find fast charge inductive chargers on the market that provide up to 10W for Quick Charge compatible phones . In this case, remember that you will need to connect the charging base to a QC 3.0 charger.
Best Qi Wireless Chargers (2021)
Now that you know more about induction charging and what devices are compatible, we bring you our pick of the best wireless chargers available on Amazon. Use the comments below if you have a question or a doubt.
• Ugreen 10W wireless charger
• Anker 10W wireless charger
• RAVPower 10W wireless charger
• Aukey wireless charging station
• Nanami wireless charging station
Best Qi Wireless Power Bank
External batteries with Qi induction charging are also coming to the market, offering 2-in-1 charging: induction charging and cable charging.
Some external batteries even allow wireless charging, although we recommend charging it by cable via the micro USB port for faster charging.
Wireless car charger
It is also possible to find wireless chargers to use in the car and easily charge our phone while checking the GPS, listening to music or calling a friend.
These chargers normally work as a car phone holder, they have in fact been designed to be fixed to the ventilation grid or to adhere to the dashboard thanks to a suction cup power.
An important thing to remember, once the wireless charger has been installed, you need to plug it into the car’s cigarette lighter with a 12V USB adapter so that you can charge a phone.
And There you go ! Your wireless charging cradle is now ready for use. Just place your phone in the cradle and it will start charging immediately.
We had to talk about the cable because on the images of some Amazon products, we have the impression that we just have to put the phone on the base and it will start charging by magic… it can confuse the buyer. The manufacturer should therefore add the cable that connects the charger to the cigarette lighter on the images.