What you need to know
- We asked our readers if wireless charging is a feature they care about.
- Of the votes, 37% say it's a must-have feature for them.
- More than 1/3 of respondents say they can live without it, while 26% say they don't use it or don't care.
Over the weekend, we asked our readers if wireless charging is a feature they prefer to have on their smartphones. Out of more than 5,000 responses, the results were somewhat even across the board. However, more people voted (by just a couple of percentage points) that wireless charging is a must-have feature for them, while 35% say they can live without it. Of the votes, 26% say they don't care about wireless charging or just don't use it.
Many users comment on the convenience of having wireless charging as an option, such as when your charging port is already taken up because you're using it to connect with headphones or even HDMI. One user on Twitter also notes that sometimes accidents happen, and a busted charging port can make wireless charging really handy.
"I can live without it. That said There was that one time that my phone's charging port was busted and it was at the worst time(when I was about to travel). So I had to buy a wireless charger during transit to charge my phone, so that I can still keep contact."
On Facebook, one user commented how it would be nice to have wireless charging built into more places such as coffee shops. However, they still prefer wired charging and note that phones would ideally come with longer battery life.
"My main issue is the inefficiency of it. Convenience is one thing cables are way more effective and efficient at [juicing] up phones.
Nice to have the option if you don't have a micro usb, USB C or Lightning cable around."
While wireless charging may still be fairly slow for many Android phones, others are stepping up their game like the latest OnePlus 10 Pro, which features 50W wireless charging and can top up your phone from 1-100% in just 47 minutes. Still, many of the best wireless chargers cannot come close to those speeds, but they still offer respectable speeds for many iPhones and Samsung devices.
Devices like the Pixel Stand (2nd Gen) also make the experience a bit more worthwhile with built-in fans and additional software features. But still, you're paying a premium for these features over faster charging.
