What is wireless charging and how does it work?

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Wat is draadloos opladen en hoe werkt het?

Cables can be incredibly inconvenient. They always get tangled, break easily and take up space. That is why more and more people are opting for wireless charging. Wireless charging, or Qi charging, is possible with more and more devices. With wireless charging, for example, you place your smartphone on a charger and your phone starts charging automatically. You no longer have to plug in a cable. Phones with MagSafe or with a magnetic cover can also be connected via a magnet. Not every phone is Qi-compatible. Pay attention to this before you buy a wireless charger or power bank.

How does wireless charging work?

Wireless charging works by means of two coils. On the one hand, the charging coil, which is connected to the wall socket or other power source. This coil creates a magnetic field. On the other hand, the receiving coil, which is in your phone, earphones or other device. When you place the receiving coil on the charging coil, current is transferred from device to device via a magnetic field.

For this, the device must lie exactly on the charger. For example, the device cannot be a centimeter away from the charger. MagSafe is incredibly useful, because of the strong magnet in your phone and in the charger, the phone always lies well on the charger. The more directly the coils lie on each other, the more efficiently your device charges.

What is Qi charging?

Qi is an official quality and compatibility standard for wireless charging. This means a few things:

  • The charger is protected against overheating, overvoltage and short circuit. This prevents damage to your device. The charger also recognizes whether a compatible device is on the charger. If this is not the case, the charger stops charging to prevent damage.
  • If a charger is Qi-certified and your device is too, you know it will work.
  • It minimizes energy loss and provides 60-75% efficiency.
  • Can provide power up to 15 Watts as long as your device supports it.

Benefits of wireless charging

  • No more cables needed when charging
  • No hassle with tangled cables
  • seats or incorrect connections
  • Simply place the device on the charger → charge immediately
  • No more cable breaks
  • No specific cable required per device (provided Qi support)
  • No wear and tear on ports of devices and chargers
  • Devices last longer

Disadvantages of wireless charging

  • Wireless charging is slower than wired charging (approx. 20W vs. 140W)
  • Takes longer to fully charge the device
  • Less efficient: more energy loss than with cable charging, example efficiency: cable approx. 85%, wireless 60–75%
  • With a wireless power bank you can charge your phone less often
    Coils must be properly aligned, otherwise lower efficiency or no operation
  • Increased heat generation from charger and device
  • Additional heat can shorten battery life (although this is limited with modern chargers)
  • Wireless chargers are often more expensive due to more complex technology

Which phones can be charged wirelessly?

There are many phones that charge wirelessly, we can't name them all, but here are the phones of a few brands that support wireless charging. Is your phone not listed and you don't know if you can charge wirelessly with your phone? Then ask our customer service.

  • Apple

    • iPhone 8 / 8 Plus
    • iPhone X / Xs / Xs Max
    • iPhone Xr
    • iPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max
    • iPhone SE (2020) / SE (2022)
    • iPhone 12 / 12 Mini / 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max
    • iPhone 13 / 13 Mini / 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max
    • iPhone 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max
    • iPhone 15 / 15 Plus / 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max
    • iPhone 16 / 16 Plus / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max
  • Samsung

    • Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge / S6 Edge+
    • Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge
    • Galaxy S8 / S8+
    • Galaxy S9 / S9+
    • Galaxy S10 / S10e / S10+
    • Galaxy S20 / S20 FE / S20+ / S20 Ultra
    • Galaxy S21 / S21 FE / S21+ / S21 Ultra
    • Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra
    • Galaxy S23 / S23+ / S23 Ultra
    • Galaxy S24 / S24+ / S24 Ultra
    • Galaxy S25 / S25+ / S25 Ultra
    • Galaxy Note 8 / Note 9 / Note 10 / Note 10+ / Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra
    • Galaxy Z Flip (from version 2)
    • Galaxy Z Fold (from version 2)
  • Google

    • Pixel 3 / 3 XL
    • Pixel 4 / 4 XL
    • Pixel 5
    • Pixel 6 / 6 Pro
    • Pixel 7 / 7 Pro
    • Pixel 8 / 8 Pro
    • Pixel 9 / 9 Pro
  • OnePlus

    • OnePlus 8 Pro
    • OnePlus 9 / 9 Pro
    • OnePlus 10 Pro
    • OnePlus 11
    • OnePlus 12
    • OnePlus 13
  • Xiaomi

    • Mi 9 / Mi 10 / Mi 11
    • Xiaomi 12 / 12 Pro
    • Xiaomi 13 / 13 Pro
    • Xiaomi 14 / 14 Pro
    • Xiaomi 15 Ultra
  • Huawei

    • Mate 20 Pro
    • Mate 30 Pro
    • P30 Pro
    • P40 Pro
    • Mate 50 Pro

Conclusion

Wireless charging can be very convenient. It is a lot easier and also ensures less wear and tear on your devices. There are also some disadvantages, for example the slower charging compared to cable charging. In general, wireless charging is highly recommended as long as your phone supports it.

View all our wireless power banks

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