Despite what many users think, wireless charging has been around for many years, although its availability on the market is relatively recent. Thanks to this technology we can charge any compatible electronic device without using a cable, simply by placing it on a compatible charger.
This technology is not only found in mobile phones and smart watches. It is increasingly common to see computer peripheral manufacturers launch products compatible with this charging system, in particular raccoon games and wireless headphones including a stand.
This type of charging is only available in small devices since they are the ones that must be recharged practically every day since, due to their size, they incorporate a smaller battery. In addition, its low charging power, which we will talk about later, is not the best option for charging large capacity batteries like those found in laptops or tablets.
How wireless charging works
The first thing is to clarify the term. It’s not really a charging system that works over the air like Wi-Fi networks. It’s a charging system. electromagnetic chargewhere it is necessary for the device and the base to be in physical contact to carry out the process.
Wireless charging requires two parts. On the one hand, the device that we want to charge must have a receiving copper coil that is responsible for receiving the signal. A transmitter coil is also needed to send the signal found in the charging base.
When the charging base that incorporates the transmitter coil is connected to the power supply, when it detects that we place a device compatible with wireless charging, a electromagnetic field which in turn generates current in the coil of the device we want to charge.
The coil of the device to be charged is located in a specific part of the device, so it does not cover the entire area. This requires placing the device on the charging base in a specific way so that an electromagnetic field is created.
Advantages and disadvantages of wireless charging
The first and foremost advantage of this wireless technology is the convenience offered by leaving the device on a charging base so that it charges automatically, reducing cables tangled and lying on the floor.
Wireless charging is based on the standard Qi which was introduced in 2010 and received a major update in 2023 with the Qe2 standard. The two charging protocols are compatible with each other and it is the most used of all electronic devices consumption.
Wireless charging is limited to a maximum of 15W by default, although some manufacturers can unlock this limit and offer a higher power level provided that the device to be charged is also compatible.
This is an advantage because, by charging more slowly, we avoid the battery heats up excessively, thus extending its useful life. But it is also a disadvantage because it takes much longer to fully charge the device, which can be a problem if we run out of battery in the middle of the day.
