Items tagged with wireless charging
We'd bet that many Android users who have been using wireless charging have, at some point, sat their device on the charging pad only to realize later it didn't charge. Often the issue with not charging comes down to having the smartphone misaligned on the pad. Most devices must be aligned just right for wireless charging, and the current version of Android doesn't tell you if the alignment is off. However, Android 11 is adding a message to warn of a wireless charging misalignment. A new Android 11 feature will put an error message on the screen that says, "realign phone to charge wirelessly." It's unclear if this warning will come to all Android devices running the software update. Reports indicate...
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There is little doubt that OnePlus has not heard the call for wireless charging support to finally be a feature of the company's smartphones—users have been clamoring for the feature for quite some time now. Don't bother finding a mountaintop to shout the request from, however, as it's probably going to find its way to the OnePlus 8 series. How do I know? Well, I don't know, not for sure, anyway. However, OnePlus has seemingly provided a gigantic hint by joining the Wireless Power Consortium. That is not something a company does unless it is interested in wireless charging, just as you don't purchase NFL Sunday Ticket if you have no intention of watching football games. Rumors have been...
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OnePlus has been able to build a reputation and a following by offering high-end features in Android handsets that undercut the competition on price. The OnePlus 7T, for example, is every bit a premium Android phone, but is significantly cheaper than some of the $1,000 top-shelf handsets on the market. That said, where is the wireless charging feature? Well, it might be coming to the OnePlus 8 Pro. For whatever reason, wireless charging is an increasingly popular feature that has, up to this point, eluded OnePlus owners. Instead, OnePlus has been hanging its hat on Warp Charge technology. Users who shell out for the $30 Warp Charge adapter can take their OnePlus 7T from a comatose state to a...
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Apple is no stranger to removing ports from its devices. On the MacBook side, the company killed off MagSafe, HDMI, and SD card readers (among other things) in an effort "simplify" things. Even the iPhone has not escaped the scalpel, as caught a lot of heat when it removed the 3.5mm headphone jack starting with the iPhone 7 in 2016. Now a new report coming from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicates that Apple is on the path to removing another well-used (and incredibly important) port from the iPhone. According to Kuo, Apple will remove the Lightning port from the iPhone starting in 2021. Now before you jump to the conclusion that Apple is dropping the Lightning port in favor of USB-C, we must stop...
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Leading up to the launch of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, there were widespread reports that the phones would include two-way wireless charging. However, the feature was never mentioned during their public debut on September 10th. Today, Apple watcher Sonny Dickson confirmed suspicions that hardware to enable two-way or bilateral charging is indeed still embedded in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro smartphones. However, it has been disabled by software for some unknown reason. On the eve of the iPhone 11 launch, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the feature had been canceled. Given that this revelation came so close to the official launch, it would be seemingly impossible...
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We've seen wireless charging pads that plug directly into the wall to top off your device, and we've seen portable batteries that have Qi wireless charging pads built-in to them. Now OtterBox is looking to put a new spin on the idea with what it calls the OtterSpot. The standard OtterSpot system includes a round charging base that looks like any number of "puck" Qi wireless chargers that you might see out in the wild. It plugs directly into a wall outlet and will charge your wireless device as you might expect. However, it also comes with a wireless charging battery puck, which recharges while sitting on the base. Once fully topped off, you can take that portable battery puck and place...
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Apple’s next generation iPhones likely won’t be unveiled until sometime in September, but details on the smartphones are already starting to slowly leak out. The latest report from Macotakara has a few insights into what is on the schedule for the new iPhones. The first is with regards to wireless charging. The iPhone family has supported standard wireless charging since the Apple iPhone 8/iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X debuted in 2017. However, the latest trend with flagship smartphones is reverse or bi-directional wireless charging, which allows them to charge another phone (or accessories). The Samsung Galaxy S10 family calls this Wireless PowerShare, and Apple's next generation...
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Had things gone they way there were supposed to, Apple would have launched its own wireless charging mat called AirPower in 2018. However, here we are getting ready to close out the first quarter of 2019, and Apple still has not released the AirPower mat. It is at least in sight, though, and could be launching soon if the iOS 12.2 beta is any indication. The promise of the AirPower mat is that its wide stance allows it to wirelessly charge numerous compatible Apple gadgets at the same time. "The new Apple-designed AirPower mat, coming in 2018, can charge iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously," Apple stated in a news release announcing the iPhone X. That would be a huge convenience to...
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OnePlus is working on a new smartphone, the OnePlus 7, and the leaks to this point suggest it will feature a full-front display without a notch (including the lack of a teardrop notch) and a slider design. Interestingly though, it might not support wireless charging, even though that is quickly becoming a standard feature on flagship phones. So, what gives? Publicly, the company's stance is that wireless charging is not where it should be, and since OnePlus phones are apparently known for their charging capabilities, OnePlus has decided not to implement it into the OnePlus 7. "OnePlus charging is one of the best, Wireless charging is far inferior," OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said in an interview with...
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Apple enters 2019 with a market capitalization of nearly $750 billion, and while that's not as high as a few months ago, few companies would opt not to trade places with the Cupertino outfit. One of the keys to Apple's ongoing success is its consistency. Unfortunately for Apple. it also enters 2019 with a blemish on its track record, which is having missed its launch time frame for the AirPower, a wireless charging pad for multiple mobile gadgets. Had things gone to plan, Apple would have launched its AirPower accessory sometime in 2018. Apple SVP Phil Schiller said as much during an iPhone X event in September 2017. "We hope people love it, that it encourages others to create more advanced solutions...
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Details on the upcoming Google Pixel 3 family of smartphones have been leaking left and right in recent months, and yesterday we gave you a run-down on what we know so far about Google’s incoming Android 9 Pie flagships. Today, however, we're getting [alleged] confirmation that Google's new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will finally add support for wireless charging. Google previously supported wireless charging with its first-party Nexus smartphones, but decided to ditch the feature starting with the original Pixel. However, a short video that was posted by Twitter user @khoroshev shows the Pixel 3 XL being placed atop a standard wireless charger. After a brief moment, a charging...
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When Apple announced the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X back in fall 2017, it also revealed its so-called “AirPower” wireless charging mat. Apple originally said that the device would ship in 2018, but what we didn’t know at the time is that it would be a late 2018 release. According to a new report, AirPower won’t be released until September which is one year from its original announcement. AirPower allows you to recharge three completely different types of Apple mobile devices simultaneously. The charging mat can accommodate and “wirelessly” charge an iPhone 8/iPhone 8 Plus/iPhone X, Apple Watch and AirPods charging case all at once. Apple...
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Apple finally joined the wireless charging revolution with the introduction of its iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X handsets, bringing a feature to iPhone users that the Android camp has been enjoying for a long time. Hot on the heels of announcing those headsets, Apple has gone out and acquired PowerbyProxi, a wireless power technology outfit in New Zealand that was spun out of the University of Auckland's wireless power center in 2007. "Our designs and IP is used in many consumer and non-consumer applications around the world by some of the world’s largest companies. We work in close partnership with our customers to turn leading edge resonant wireless power technology into real world solutions...
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Wireless charging has been around for quite some time now, even if Apple is fashionably late to the party. However, as the technology exists in the consumer sector today, there is definitely room for improvement. Well, a company called Pi is looking to advance the concept with a new device it is working on called the Pi Charger. As wireless charging exists right now, a smartphone or other battery-depleted device sits on a pad (of varying sizes) that is plugged into the wall and begins to charge. If that device is lifted off the pad, the charging stops. It works and is still more convenient than having to connect a USB cable to a phone or some other gadget, but it's not ideal. The Pi Charger changes...
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