Most smartphones require a physical connection to a wall outlet to charge the battery. Once the battery has been depleted, you connect a power cable from your phone’s micro USB port to a wall outlet, after which your handset begin charging. Some Android phones, however, support wireless charging, eliminating the need for a physical connection.
If you’re interested in charging your Android phone wirelessly, you must first check to see if it supports wireless charging. Verizon Wireless explains that only Qi-compatible smartphones are capable of charging wirelessly.
Developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) more than a decade ago, Qi is an open-interface standard with specifications for the wireless transmission of power over short distances. The standard involves the use of a compatible smartphone or device and a charging pad to provide power via resonant inductive coupling technology. The Nokia Lumia 920 was the first phone to support Qi. Since then, however, dozens of other handsets have implemented the standard, including the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy Note 5, LG G6, Moto Z, Sony Xperia XZ2, Nokia Sirocco and more.
Assuming your Android phone supports Qi, you can charge it wirelessly using a Qi charging pad that’s sold at many phone stores as well as online retailers. You plug the charger into a wall outlet and place your phone on the charging pad. When done correctly, you’ll see the battery indicator on your phone turn to charging mode.
Even with Qi, however, you must still plug the charger into a wall outlet. The only difference is that you can place your phone on the charging pad instead of connecting it directly to the outlet. Keep in mind that wireless charging is slower than wired charging. Since power is transmitted over the air instead of a physical cable, it takes longer to charge.
So, how common is wireless charging with Android handsets? One report found that 76 percent of U.S. smartphone users were aware of the technology, and 20 percent were using Qi to charge their handsets. Wireless charging is still relatively new, however. Until the technology is perfected and charging times improved, wired charging will remain the preferred choice among Android users.
