All About Wireless Charging

The wide range of roles that a smartphone can fill seems to broaden by the minute, making our phones more of a necessity now than ever before. While of course the increasing versatility of our electronic devices is something to be excited about, there is one downside—the heavy use these devices see means that we need to charge them more and more throughout the day. Fortunately, the mobile world seems to be catching up to our constant need to charge our phones in the form of a new technology called wireless charging.

So what is wireless charging? Simply put, wireless charging, also known as inductive charging, involves setting your phone on a special charging pad to charge the battery. No cords needed. The technology behind it, of course, is a little more complicated. A charging pad must be plugged into a power outlet, and it contains an electromagnetic transmitter coil that regularly emits an alternating current. The phone to be charged, meanwhile, contains an electromagnetic receiver coil, be it within the phone itself or within a case that is attached to the phone. (Alternatively, you can opt for a slim charging receiver that actually fits between your phone and existing phone case.) When the phone is placed close enough to the charging pad, the transmitter coil induces a voltage in the receiver coil, initiating the wireless charging progress.

One more thing you should know about wireless charging—the technology has actually been around for some time now. Some rechargeable toothbrushes, for example, have been making use of this easy form of battery recharging since the 1990s. When it comes to mobile phones, however, it seems that only recently has mainstream wireless charging been a viable possibility. The well-known Swedish furniture company IKEA, for example, just this year began incorporating wireless charging stations in some of their nightstands and side tables in order to boost the practicality of their furniture. More and more wireless charger receiver cases are available online today, though there still seems to be little in the way of creative designs for these cases. It will be interesting to watch over the coming years—or months, more likely—as more and more mobile phone case manufacturers consider wireless charging technology in designing new, decorative cases for the market. Once the public has a variety of decorative phone cases that embrace this technology to choose from, wireless charging is sure to grow steadily into the norm.