Wired vs Wireless Charging: Which One is Better?

In this era of rapid technological advancements, innovation is racing forward at a supersonic pace. Each passing week heralds the arrival of novel features and cutting-edge tech products, each with its own set of fresh advantages. It’s astonishing to recall that there was a time when the world’s very first phone, the Motorola Dynatac 8000X, required a staggering 10 hours to charge, providing a mere 30 minutes of talk time! Fast forward to today, and you can power up your sophisticated smartphone, capable of performing almost any task, in just an hour, thanks to the remarkable strides in both wired and wireless charging technologies.

The Advent of Wireless Charging:

In 2009, the Palm Pre phone was released with wireless charging capabilities. However, it only started to become a trend in 2017, when Apple introduced wireless charging with iPhone 8. Later on, Google and other brands incorporated it into their models.

But where wireless charging is getting popular and advanced, wired charging is also getting faster in speed. One such powerful charging technology is the Xiaomi Hypercharge with the capability of charging a phone to 100% within just 8 minutes!

Which One is Better?

Both charging technologies have their advantages and disadvantages. Still, wireless charging seems more appealing due to its wire-free-hassle capability.

Let us compare both charging technologies and see which one is a better choice for you. But before we start talking about it all, let me introduce you to Belkin. A castle of high-quality tech products, it’s your go-to place for your tech gadgets. Grab your favorite tech stuff with price cuts using Belkin promo code deals.

Wireless Charging: Advantages:

Let’s keep talking about wireless charging advantages, Well of course there are a lot of benefits!

You Don’t Need Those Pesky Wires to Charge Your Phone:

Well, of course as the name suggests “wireless.” It’s wire-free! You just have to keep your phone on the pad and there you go. Your phone will start charging. Once the charging is completed, you can just pick it up. Your table will be neat and clean, but there’ll be just one wire of that wireless charging stand or pad.

You Can Charge Multiple Phones with One Wireless Charger:

There is a wireless charging standard called QI, developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). This standard is a technology to transfer power from a pad to a phone wirelessly.

Even if you have both Android and iPhone, you’ll be able to charge both with the same wireless charger because it is likely that both phone uses QI standard technology.

Take Your Wireless Charger Anywhere:

You will just have to take one wireless charger with you and you can charge your phone anywhere. Plus wireless charging is safe because some public charging ports have a data-stealing function that steals your data while you charge your phone.

Wireless Charging: Disadvantages:

Despite the benefits wireless charging has, there are various disadvantages to it. Because after all nothing is perfect.

It Increases the Temperature of Your Phone:

The worst ever problem with wireless charging is the heat. Because the problem is when your phone’s temperature increases, it negatively affects your battery’s lifespan. The primary concern lies with the Lithium-Ion batteries prevalent in most of today’s smartphones, as they can be quite sensitive to excessive heat.

It’s Charges Slowly:

As we discussed wired chargers are so fast that they can even charge your phone in 8 minutes. Whereas wireless chargers are slow, they can’t charge your phone with Superman power. So you won’t get your phone charged instantly in emergency situations.

Their Prices are Steep:

Most of the phones don’t come with a wireless charger in their boxes, you have to buy separately. Here’s the catch—they cost more than wired chargers. So you’ll have to put an extra load on your wallet while buying them.

Wired Charging: Advantages:

Don’t forget that our good old wired charging still has a lot of benefits to offer.

Charge Faster:

Wired charging undeniably provides a rapid power supply, thanks to high-capacity chargers with ultra-fast technology. These charging adapters swiftly fuel your smartphone’s battery, making them ideal when time is running out and you need your phone charged up quickly.

Efficient Current Supply:

Wired charging offers a stable current supply, ensuring a continuous and unchanging power flow to your device. This consistent power transfer stands in sharp contrast to wireless charging, which can potentially decrease or fluctuate over time due to various factors.

Use the Phone While Charging:

One additional feature of wired charging is its compatibility with usage during charging. Although it’s not generally advised, it does allow you the option to use your phone whilst it’s powering up.

Wired Charging: Disadvantages:

Compatibility:

If you’re a multi-device user and own multiple phones that support varying cable tapes — be it Type C, Micro USB, or the distinctive lightning cable for iPhones, etc. — you’re bound to face a logistical concern. Since each phone type and its corresponding charging hardware require a unique cable format, cable management becomes an essential, yet rather inconvenient part of the user experience.

You find yourself in a position of constant juggling amongst different cables to cater to the individual charging requirements of the devices. Selecting the right Cable Type A for your device and deciphering each of the Type B Mini models’ rules can cause confusion. This makes wired charging solutions overly difficult to use.

Clutter of Wires:

With wired charging, convenience could be an issue since it brings the unmanageable task of managing wires. Be it on your desk or in a bag, the trail of accompanying wires can spring into a disorganized tangle.

These wires here and there not only clutter your working or resting space but also make it relatively inconvenient to find, plug in, and charge your device rapidly, especially when compared to the ease of simply placing your phone on a wireless charging pad.

Damaging the Phone’s Charging Port:
During wired charging, there are potential hazards that may not just inconvenience but harm your device. If you don’t handle your phone or cable gently in certain situations, they could bend.

This, over a prolonged duration, can place undue stress on your phone’s charging port, possibly leading to wear, tear, and sadly, damage. Damage to a phone’s charging port can significantly limit its ability to receive charge, thus reducing its overall functionality.

Wrapping Up:

Both wired and wireless charging technologies have an impressive range of potential benefits while still having certain drawbacks. On the one hand, wired charging offers an efficient, tireless power supply with a rapid charge capability that is hard to dismiss. Contrarily, it does have the problem of messy cord management requirements, risks to the phone’s charging port, and a lack of convenience.

On the other hand, you have the wireless charging option with its amazing feature of device compatibility, the reduction of clustered wires, and freedom to strategic device position regardless of power supply. However, there is a noticeable disadvantage of a slower charging pace, higher operational temperatures, and relatively steep price points. The beauty of these charging technologies lies not in comparing them against each other but in recognizing how they can collaborate to deliver the best user experience.

Most smartphones today come with both traditional plug-in charger interfaces and support for established wireless charging protocols. This hybrid topology gives users the flexibility to integrate with either or both methods according to what suits their battery charge requirements at that specific time.

What if you’re at your desk and don’t want the extra cable clutter? Go wireless. Need an urgent power boost? The traditionally speedy wired charging option comes to your rescue. You’re on a camping trip and brought a power bank along? You have coverage on both ends. So, you don’t need to worry, buy a device like Google Pixel and iPhone and you’ll have both charging options!