Glossary
Wireless charging
Charging a device via electromagnetic induction from a charging pad, without a cable. Qi is the dominant open standard; MagSafe (Apple) and Qi2 add magnet alignment.
Wireless charging uses an inductive coil in the charger and a receiving coil in the device. Modern phones support 7.5–50 W wirelessly.
Standards
- Qi 1.3 — universal baseline, up to 15 W.
- Qi2 — adds magnetic alignment (MagSafe-derived), 15+ W.
- Proprietary fast wireless — OnePlus AirVOOC 50 W, Xiaomi HyperCharge 80 W.
Efficiency tradeoff
Wireless charging is 60–75% efficient compared to wired (~95%). The lost energy becomes heat — extended wireless fast-charging is harder on the battery than wired.
Reverse wireless
Some phones can act as a charging pad to top up earbuds or a watch laid on the back. Output is typically 5–10 W.
Where this matters
Categories that use wireless charging
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