How Wireless Charging Works and Why It's Terrible

[@YEdwardP]

What I find most frustrating is that if you're going to go as far as using magnets to ensure "perfect" alignment for the coils, you might as well use them to align metal contacts. Same convenience as "wireless" charging, but with the efficiency of wired charging.

[@MaxPower-11]

Most folks have cases on their devices and as such metal contacts probably won’t work particularly well.

[@iyad8644]

That wouldn't work well due to cases and camera bumps. Do keep in mind that many wireless chargers are integrated into flat surfaces like you'd find in cars, they don't all just flop around with a wire.

[@Alexzw92]

Not a bad thought. Could work with a special case

[@huncorn6938]

@@iyad8644 no problem. apple could make special magsafeish cases and sell for 100$

[@supercellex4D]

invented the iPad smart connector award

[@davidGA殿]

It’s terrible until the charging port doesn’t charge and the phone is able to stay alive for another year thanks to it.

[@RainbowGin]

This is why we need repairable phones.

[@dilutedoxygen]

This wouldn't be a problem if phones were repairable enough

[@FarmYardGaming]

Real

[@almfreak]

I agree with your sentiment, but it’s a bandaid to the real problem of un-repairable phones. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to pop down to a repair shop and have your charging port fixed for the same price as a certified wireless charger, but tech companies want you to buy more stuff, not fix the stuff you own.

[@RandomUser2401]

@@dilutedoxygen they are. changing the charging port is nothing you can't do on current phones.

[@MichaelLargent]

I didn't realize the power loss or temps were so high. I'm going back to the ol' wire. Much appreciate the video.

[@monad_tcp]

I'm surprised its between 50% and 100%, I excepted wireless charging to be 300% extra energy wasted

[@faranocks]

@@monad_tcp In ideal scenarios transferring energy through magnets is close to 100%. Many/most transformers use some variation of this, and reach efficiencies exceeding 95%, and many over 99%. This includes the power from the grid to 120/240/110v or from 120v to 12v in your desktop computer. The issue is that the formulas are extremely well known, documented, and explored. Power is directly proportional to the distance squared. You can't really get closer than what we are doing now. If the coils were essentially touching we would see even higher efficiencies, but that's unreasonable for a multitude of reasons.

[@arcmchair_roboticist]

Another important note is how much of our power really is lost this way? Charging a phone, even at 25% efficiency takes 50 wh. Assuming you charge your phone about 1 time per day, this amounts to a very small overall amount of energy still. This energy is comparable to using a kettle, running a dishwasher for 2 minutes, or watching 30 minutes of TV. Personally I'm not convinced that the difference in energy from wireless to wired charging is really worth the inconvenience given that the difference in energy is pretty insignificant compared to so many other daily human activities.

[@MichaelLargent]

@@arcmchair_roboticist if you look at it yearly it becomes more obvious how much power it is. Suddenly you're looking at enough power to run a kettle for over 7 hours. Multiply that by millions of users and suddenly we're looking at enough power waste to run cities and a major carbon impact too.

[@arcmchair_roboticist]

@@MichaelLargent yeah and the electricity consumption of producing a single hamburger is in the tens of kwh, will this change the consumption habits of people? Saving a couple of kwh a year per person is not worth much.

[@jarboer]

This is exactly why Apple never released AirPower, even Apple realized so many coils in a wireless charger is too much heat to manage properly. Honestly it’s good they pivoted to MagSafe and the Qi 2 standard adopted the same tech.

[@antman7673]

I don’t know if it is necessary heat from too many coils: -The biggest problem is many coils and even if intelligently managed, there is still a. high chance of bad alignment. That bad alignment is then creating more heat during charging, then it otherwise would.

[@asifabdullahzamee7476]

Bullshit. I'm pretty sure they knew that before showcasing it on stage

[@sippingthepeachsoda]

@@asifabdullahzamee7476Yeah they most likely assumed that another billion in r&d would fix it but it obviously didn’t, so it was cancelled.

[@asifabdullahzamee7476]

@@sippingthepeachsoda right. also we are sending rockets in to deep interstellar space, to Mars so wireless charging tech is actually piece of cake and it should be. But apple actually underestimated the tech. Or else airpower actually could have been a great product in my opinion.

[@achmadputra2]

@@asifabdullahzamee7476 the problem with airpower isn’t just the heat, but also the fact that it had different 2 coils stack top of each other. the ordinary Qi coil and the apple watch magnetic coil.

[@Poorgeniu5]

*UPDATE:* It seems that if you use wireless Android Auto or Apple Carplay, your phone will get hot and wireless charging just exasperates the thermals further. My dad always complains about his phone getting hot when wireless charging in his car and no matter how centered I align his phone, it'll always gets hot and his phone will stop charging to control the thermals. But this video and illustration of Tesla solution of slapping so many coils might be the problem but my dad resorted to wired charging in his car anyway.

[@RootBert397]

Does your dad drive a VW by any chance?

[@Poorgeniu5]

@@RootBert397 Nah, he drives a 23' Acura

[@bjorncallewaert5841]

I have the same issue with my 13 pro in my 2024 Polestar 2

[@RootBert397]

@@bjorncallewaert5841 i tried so many cars, even expensive ones (i use a lot of car sharing so i drive a lot of different cars over a week) the only car charger that doesnt cook my 12 pro is the cheap 10€ one off ebay i put in my 30 year old shitbox miata. Hilarious.

[@vasiovasio]

Jokes aside - Next time when you complain about this, just tell him the truth that Every One of us Without Exception will Die! Thats it. And see his reaction! 😉

[@ashfakuddinahmed1807]

Living in a subtropical country, 30°C temperature feels almost like late fall or early spring. It's usually 40-42°C during summer and 35-38°C most of the year. So our phone batteries are constantly getting degraded even without charging.

[@hyakinthos_0902]

its the rapid charge and discharge that will definitely wear the battery faster as long as battery temp is within 45C you dont need to worry i have my iphone for 4 years with 83%capacity left and the climate is usually as tropical as yours is

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

I'm told in extreme cold conditions the battery will also have a lot less charge capacity. There's always a temperature rating with batteries, and at either extreme of the operating range they are much less efficient.

[@mynameissang]

​@@MMuraseofSandvichdownright nonfunctioning, in my experience. I used to work in a warehouse where we couldn't take our phones, so I would leave it in my car turned off. In the winter when temps got below freezing, when I got off work, I couldn't turn it back on until I warmed it up with the car heater.

[@monad_tcp]

unless you keep you A/C running forever to drop to 25c. >30c is unbearable

[@LorneChrones]

Lithium batteries have a narrower charging temperature range than operating (non-charging/discharging) range. For instance, a typical LiPo may only be recommended to charge between 5-45C (closer to room temp is still better because less heat related wear). Whereas typical LiPos are recommended to be discharged between -20C and +60C. So there's still some heat related wear on batteries discharging in a hotter climate but its not as bad as charging in a hotter climate.

[@NotCaptainToad]

Glad to see this video. I worked in a phone store, where I would continuously correct everyone I worked with including my manager, that no, wireless chargers were not in fact better for your battery longevity and to stop telling that to the customers that weren't knowledgeable enough to know otherwise, so they had to trust our experience and advice. I quickly realized that they either didn't choose to believe me or do any research themselves before making recommendations, or didn't care because selling an additional $40-$70 charger as essential for phone health was part of their commissions. I remember them saying they "trickle charge" like it was some feature of the wireless chargers when it's just something most modern phones do. Mind you I still sold a decent amount of them being completely honest with people, as there are still use cases even without a claim of better battery longevity. Convenience, an alternative if your port fails, to name a few. This is one of the many reasons I chose to move into the electronic repair business instead, a lot more honesty there compared to retail phone sales.

[@larrylarrington9229]

It really irritates me when people blindly trust employees at a phone store

[@SonicXRage]

It's frustrating to me when I see anyone put their full trust in an "expert." It's so easy to be deceived either intentionally or by the negligence of said "expert." That's why I try to do my own research before buying anything.

[@alleeadl289]

people like you make the world a better place for everyone, thanks.

[@mattpolton3802]

@@larrylarrington9229 i agree i think it becaue they the type that trust local people over some one line

[@nemotamang58]

It really infuriates me when the seller tries to sell items beyond their expertise with half-assed sales pitch. Went to buy laptop, seller doesn't know what type of CPU it has. He just says intel i5 or i7 or Ryzen 5. [CPU have H,P,U,G,E etc lineups that indicates how intense it can perform & how power effecient it is. As well as the generation of the cpu.]

[@coder543]

At 2:43, the wired connection is represented by a dashed line, the wireless connection is represented by a solid line... an interesting subversion of expectations.

[@DaMu24]

Not sure what you mean

[@coder543]

@@DaMu24 wired charging should be the solid lines, like a charging cable is a solid line, and wireless charging should be the broken lines. Reading the chart with them reversed made it more confusing to my tired brain at the time.

[@c4ldas]

@@coder543 I felt the same, and I needed to pause the video to invert the idea in my mind! :D

[@simplig1272]

​@@DaMu24 an universally accepted and logical thing, not only in technical drawings, but on maps, and in general illustration is that solid lines represent solid, visible objects or features. A dashed line represent invisible, imaginary or theoretical objects or features.

[@ColinTedford]

This bothered me so much! 😅

[@cookiesaregreat]

Appreciate you for sharing your conclusions at the *start* of the video, and making the video only as long as it needed to be to illustrate your conclusions (unlike most youtubers who intentionally breadcrumb the conclusions to force you to watch through their drawn out videos). Liked and subscribed!

[@humanlike6658]

They called it wireless but i can still see the wires

[@anianii]

With that argument, WiFi isn't wireless either because there is an Ethernet cable going to the Access Point

[@inconsistencyon]

except that with wifi, you could go anywhere in your house...?

[@anianii]

@@inconsistencyon Sure, but the further you go, the more energy is wasted. You can also go sort of far with QI charging, it's just not enough energy to charge a phone anymore. WiFi needs a lot less energy to arrive than QI

[@ikjadoon]

@@anianii Wi-Fi is _practically_ wireless, though, as you can move 10+ meters and still get a reliable connection. "Wireless" charging is pure marketing; it should've been marketed as "tap charging" or "near field charging", e.g., you have a few millimeters before the connection is dead. See NFC / tap to pay /etc.

[@anianii]

@@ikjadoon The connection is not "dead" after a few millimeters. It just turns itself off because it gets too inefficient to make sense. Which, by the way, is also what cell towers do. Your phone might actually be able to connect to a cell tower, but if its configuration says not to connect if the signal strength is lower than some value, your phone would show no signal instead. With QI, that threshold is simply much lower due to the high efficiency being necessary for charging to happen at a reasonable rate. If you're 500 meters away from a cell tower, you won't get the best connection either, but in that context it's good enough to work. But I have to agree that calling it wireless is mostly marketing. Inductive charging would be more clear.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

1:56 Correction please. The efficiency problem is not in generating the electrical field. The underlying principle here is the transformer, and transformers can be extremely efficient. The problem is the poor magnetic coupling between the primary winding in the charger and the secondary winding in the phone. This could be _improved_ by ensuring correct mechanical alignment, and _not_ as per the Tesla solution of more coils. You could even let the magnetism do the alignment for you. Still won't be as good as a wire though.

[@cywestbrook7448]

Most phones have a feature to disable fast wireless charging which significantly decreases heat and also slows down battery charging overnight to about 3 hours which can actually help reduce wear

[@viktorakhmedov3442]

or you can just... plug it in These aren't the directional MicroUSB days anymore

[@jakefromstatefarm1405]

That's what I do. I have my phone scheduled to disable fast charging everyday from 11pm - 6am. Working well so far

[@Frankfurtdabezzzt]

My pixel also does that when charging wired

[@mr.smitty1804]

Charging batteries for long starches of time degrades health faster... charge in steps.. or "fractions" 30% add another 30% take a break.. rinse repeat

[@RainbowGin]

I work in a phone store and always recommend wires over wireless charging. It's so much better

[@1ssac1]

hidden cost of cable is the repair of broken charging port. How many users will buy a new phone i/o paying hefty repair ?

[@CommodoreFan64]

@@1ssac1 maybe I'm more careful with my stuff, but I've only had to replace a phone do to a bad charge port once, and that was Motorola Moto G3 that used crappy Micro B USB, and it really was not the port itself but a faulty charge controller chip that caused the port to get hot enough to start smoking.

[@SnowyRVulpix]

Its more efficient but its not better. Imo the convenience makes wireless so much better

[@ImMattFromAus]

Yeah but I bet your boss wants you to sell more wireless chargers.

[@AMabud-lv7hy]

​@@1ssac1Oh right, US peeps spend an arm and a leg for something as rudimentary as a port repair

[@TReKiE]

I like to use USB-C magnetic adapters as an alternative. You get the benefits of not having to be accurate with plugging in (plus you don't wear out the USB port), but retain the benefits of wired charging. Such functionality should really be added to the USB spec.

[@kalafalas246]

MagSafe 3 on iPhones and iPads please! Such a better solution than the pad junk

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Magnetic USB adapters are generally not recommended because they're not guaranteed to connect ground first, unlike every USB connector. And since they're not part of the spec, there's no way to verify that they're complying with USB-IF. Also, if there's a data connection in the adapter (required for PD), you could get some weird or damaging behavior if the connector is popped loose and reconnected. However, if it works for you for over a year, it's probably fine, most phones have pretty good protection circuitry. Maybe they'll come up with a type D (or M for magnetic?) connector that uses pogo pins and magnets? They'll cost more than type C, unfortunately...

[@rolf-smit]

​@@kalafalas246problem with MagSafe is that (again) it is proprietary. My MacBook came with one but I always take a USB-C cable with me instead, because I can use that cable for all my devices: Laptop, earbuds, phone, camera, power bank etc.

[@gfyGoogle]

@@rolf-smitthe MagSafe demonstrated in this video helped drive the Qi2 spec. So now Androids and all other Qi devices can have MagSafe alignment too!

[@NithinJune]

pogo pins just aren’t rated for that kind of current

[@davidsanders890]

I have to say that I always thought that wireless charging was pretty worthless until I damaged my charging port out of warranty. I keep my phone for at least 3 years before upgrading and wireless charging has saved me from an early upgrade. With that being said I would still give it up in a heartbeat for a rear mounted fingerprint scanner.

[@Boz1211111]

Why is that such a problem, i replaced charging port myself on my phone. Its not diy for anyone but any phone service should be able to do it

[@winnieid2727]

same here.

[@SirKrumpleOWrapper]

​@@Boz1211111Yes I know but it's not cheap and for an old phone it probably isn't worth it

[@hongkyang7107]

​@@SirKrumpleOWrapperbruh, which service did you tap in? I replace my charging port for 20 dollar or less. At least way better with degraded battery, which I did that too and it is 200+. Aside what is with the notion of old phone repair isn't worth it? 5 years old or less phones is totally serviceable, while new phone cost upto 2k (5k if you count them shinny folded), nvm the environment, save your own wallet.

[@soacespacestation8556]

@@hongkyang7107 USD? Not really.

[@judgemint5374]

Finally someone competent pointing out this waste. Thank you!!

[@coldbrew6104]

No

[@oplkfdhgk]

1:06 try it with budget phones. i have seen like 40-50c on cheaper phones.

[@kouhaiii3182]

of course. and they did say that they were going for a best case scenario, hence the more expensive phone

[@MinhThangDam]

Budget phone usually skips multiple PMCs to alternate the amount of power feeding to the battery base on its temp, that's why they tend to get significantly hotter esp at low battery

[@teardowndan5364]

Budget phones have wireless charging? None of mine do.

[@bjornroesbeke]

It's all about compromises. The ease of being able to pick up the device and put it back to charge in a second is handy for example when you're doing many short trips in a car, and would rather not break the charge port. There's no point in choosing wireless over wired when the device is charging overnight.

[@a1white]

How difficult is it to spend 10 secconds more plugging in a phone?

[@bjornroesbeke]

​@@a1white Nothing is difficult per sé, but forget disconnecting it once while exiting the car, and you can forget about using your usb port ever again. They break easily. A magnetic cable/connector combo is a good compromise, but in my experience, the two parts often stick to eachother a bit too well and i've lost many such connectors. Wireless charging was not the ideal, but still the better solution for me in that case.

[@EnterTheSoundscape]

@@a1whiteIt’s less wear and tear on the charging port. I’ve had 3 phones where the charging port broke, I don’t plan on that happening again.

[@jr.sw23]

​@@a1whitequite difficult actually when you deliver for Amazon and have to get into and out of the van approx 130 times a day.

[@batdroid2705]

After my daughter (11) damaged three phones by always forcing in charger, we promptly got her a wireless charger. No issues since

[@HockeyPlayer323]

Happy to see more people talking about this!

[@Meistor]

Good Video, loved the facts! One thing I would mention as a benefit of wireless charging though is that you will have way less trouble with loose connection plugs. I keep phones for 4 years on average, and when only using cables, I often have quite loose connections in the end which sometimes start bugging around.

[@RevLimitHero]

“Regularly exceeds 30 degrees centigrade” my brother in Christ Australia exists

[@-aexc-]

i only ever use wireless charging overnight with a 5w outlet so im sure it charges very slow and doesnt let it get that hot

[@Phlegethon]

I’ve gone back to wired

[@varunaX]

Why? Cause of this video? I've been wirelessly charging my lg for 5 years now and the battery is just fine

[@zUltra3D]

​@@varunaXit's still inefficient

[@dannyboots]

Good thinking buddy boy

[@ginco_bnz]

Agreed, I use a wired 1amp Apple plug from like 7 years ago, and only charge to 80%. Battery is at 98% life after a year of being drained almost daily. My previous phone was at almost 87% at this point with wireless charging every night and 100% charge.

[@motalkbadazs]

@@zUltra3Dwho needs efficiency? Charge your phone at night and youll be aii

[@thisaintart]

Side note: Thank you for all your videos, they’ve helped me pay the bills fixing people’s stuff for many many years now ❤

[@Chuzz1]

commenting to support these findings and data. love your work.

[@allenqueen]

Why don't phones use gold contact pins on the back with magnets for alignment? Seems like best of both worlds.

[@kylehazachode]

Apple Magsafe kinda nailed it. Get the right magsafe stand and you really don't worry about charging. Even when I'm drunk I can wave my phone over my charging stand and it'll grab my phone outta my hand.

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

This right here is one of the maky reasons for wireless charging

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

This explains why my magnetic Anker warmed up my iPhone that I didn't like, but it still was better than the 5 euro Hama without magnet that actually makes the phone hot to touch.

[@purpinkn]

1:19 the cable is right there! you just added an extra step!

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

Not if you built it into the desk

[@almfreak]

Great video! Thank you for sharing good info with tests and data to back it up! I appreciate the effort that you guys put into teaching things that benefit us users! Keep up the good fight!

[@Rickyp0123]

I never understood the point of "wireless" charging. You still have a wire that goes all the way to the phone PLUS a big puck underneath it PLUS it's less efficient PLUS before mag-safe you couldn't use your phone while charging it wirelessly since it had to be on the pad. The only time I've ever used wireless charging was when I wrecked the ports on some older phones--it's great to have as a second option, but not as a first.

[@pandazpaa]

Then, it's not for you... Simply as that.

[@Rickyp0123]

@@pandazpaa so, who is it for?

[@pandazpaa]

@@Rickyp0123 does it actually matter for you? I mean, if they're selling, there's someone buying. I do use one in my office's computer and works pretty well for me for example... Even with a lot of cons.

[@Rickyp0123]

@@pandazpaa no of course not! I just see zero upsides (except as a backup option) so I was wondering what I could be missing. I’m happy to hear about use cases I hadn’t considered.

[@pandazpaa]

@@Rickyp0123 understood. I personally don't think that you're exactly wrong in your initial thoughts (since those are valid points). They can sell wireless charger because some weird use cases (like myself), which a person kinda uses a worse technology because "personal reasons" I guess.

[@FreddyHartanto]

Finally someone say something about this, been feeling disturbed for a long time with people glorifying wireless charging over fast charging. Thanks iFixit for mentioning this!

[@teh_hunterer]

You need to go outside

[@YISTECH]

​@@teh_hunterernone of us are going outside, especially you.

[@Pumpkinwaffle]

Brilliant! We definitely need more educating videos like those! People need to learn best practices to avoid environmental impact.

[@PrimeIsCrime]

I thought I was tripping when I used Wireless Charger and my phone got really really really hot. Now it makes sense. Glad I stopped using those years ago.

[@dvdragon]

I had a feeling that was the case. Thanks for the testing.

[@joshuauriarte452]

I have a Galaxy S22U and wireless charge with a 5W charger. The battery does not get anywhere near 30C. It's even recommended to use wireless charging at 5W at night when the phone is of. Your phone being off is what helps prevent it from getting hot, and battery degradation.

[@theagentsmith]

Makes sense. For overnight change 5W is adequate and the charging loss is a lot lower than at 15W fast wireless charge

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

Why not use a 5W wired charger. Benefits of slow charging + wired.

[@NotCaptainToad]

It's the slow 5W charge that is helping the battery, not the wireless charger. You would see arguably better battery longevity and a dollar per month come back on your electric bill by using a 5W wired cable instead.

[@Kalvinjj]

@@NotCaptainToad Yes, but an USB port likely soldered to the motherboard (it's so on the S10, dunno the S22), that ain't getting any younger. In my case I went wireless slow charge as the lesser of the two evils. I would rather replace a battery sooner than a connector later, since I do intend to keep the phone for many years. Sure USB-C helps, but if there's also another option, may as well.

[@joshuauriarte452]

@unliving_ball_of_gas there's benefits of both wireless charging and 5W. The benefits of wireless is you are allowing less damage to the USBC port. This reduces the risk of needing to replace the port. T

[@dontquestionjustbelieve5757]

69% battery on the first phone shown, nice

[@ChetHanks-eh1md]

.....nice.

[@danielbinoy]

Nice

[@marcel2258]

Nice

[@seandonovan9000]

Nice

[@FAT8893]

Now that we see crazy fast wired charging, it makes me question why there are people who see smartphones without wireless charging as a "deal breaker". I easily take super fast wired charging over wireless charging all day.

[@Diogoafsimoes]

Loved the video. Would like to see how it compares with wireless charging stations that have fans

[@mrmarr8308]

Lol

[@Fulgrim2]

I like wires myself but the option is interesting to me.

[@chriswilcox8977]

Having used a 5w Anker wireless charging pad for many years, it never manages to create enough power to make my iPhone get even barely warm 😂 Wired charging still seems to make the phone get noticeably warm, though I can’t decide if the slower wireless charging is overall better for the battery or not. Based on my son using my old 12 Pro Max which is still on mid 80’s for battery health, I’m inclined to think slow wireless charging is no concern beyond energy waste….possibly balanced by a phone which still has great battery health and life.

[@trustbuster23]

I noticed the same. The faster, mag safe wireless chargers make the phone uncomfortably hot, they will definitely degrade the battery over time. The little cheap, low-wattage Anker pads trickle charge the phone overnight and generate essentially no heat unless you seriously mis-align the phone on the pad. Yes, they do waste energy, but the amount is trivial in relation to the typical person's overall electrical use in a day. If I need a fast charge, I plug in. But for overnight charging, the low wattage pad is very convenient.

[@renofumi28]

1:19 That's why the recommended power for wireless charging is at 5 watt, leave them charging wirelessly during your bed time.

[@FakeMichau]

Charging overnight is bad in itself

[@renofumi28]

@@FakeMichau not in modern phones except you're still in that one with micro usb or very thick chin and forehead

[@TheJoe971]

The joy of finding your phone in the morning not charged despite laying on the wireless charger for the whole night, simply because it's sheer bs...

[@quinton1661]

I use wireless charging out of convenience since I'll need to plug and unplug frequently. I always place it under a small desk fan pointed at the phone. It keeps it nice and cool even after charging for over an hour - I imagine the battery temperature is kept a bit cooler from this. For overnight charging it's a 5 W charger to minimize heat. No need to charge from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes when it's going to be plugged in for 7 more hours anyway.

[@Zatchillac]

They make wireless chargers with fans built in. I have 3 of them and my phones never even get remotely warm when using them. I also have some without built in fans and phones DO get fairly warm on them

[@buffuniballer]

@@Zatchillac I was going to say the same. The ESR Magsafe certified chargers I use in our cars include a fan. Even with my Belkin chargers at home, I don't perceive my phones getting to 30C

[@BlueBillionPoundBottleJobs]

Wow, you need to point a fan at your phone to charge it at a slower speed with less efficiency, sounds real awesome

[@quinton1661]

@@BlueBillionPoundBottleJobs The reason for this is I charge while I'm frequently using the phone. I simply disconnect from the charge, do what I'm going to do, then put it back on to charge. Otherwise I would just plug it in.

[@homie7218]

sounds like skill issue lil bro

[@ChadH2023]

I keep a wireless charger in case my port gets wet or damaged. I slow charge overnight with USBC and Samsung basic battery protection. I've never had a damaged port, but did get my port wet once on vacation.

[@ballenf]

The energy wasted over a lifetime of wireless charging is still less that used in a single car ride. Perspective is important here.

[@a1white]

It’s not wasted though is it, that’s the point. All energy has to be converting into another form in this case heat which is degrading your battery a lot quicker

[@mastercng]

​@@a1whitecars are wildly inefficient.

[@cocoamaster9200]

I’ve noticed that my iphone 12 before had 84% battery health and in a span of 5-6 months it only decreased to 83%(just 1%)using only wired charging, but i recently purchased a wireless powerbank and uses it to maintain my battery percentage. In just 2 months my battery health get down to 80%.

[@SignalStealer]

Finally someone speaks about this, thank you! I am not using wireless charging exactly for these reasons for a few years already. When I tried it, I did not find it any more convenient than plugging the phone in.

[@theagentsmith]

Yeah it shouldn't be your primary charging method, however keep in mind it allows you to keep using the phone when its wired port is worn out. Additionally in some parks and in restaurants there are some wireless chargers which are super convenient.

[@HSNG10]

Sony Xperia 3 actually had a magnetic interface on its side that allowed for the convenience of "wireless" charging with the advantage of actual electric contact that avoided the loss of wireless charging. If only we can establish a standard interface using this concept for phones.

[@Maxime_K-G]

I agree, never understood the "inconvenience" of plugging in a wire or why phone stands stopped being a thing. The loss of energy and wearing out of materials are a shame. It is true though that the lack of securing mechanism on USB-C causes the wire to fall out more than it should.

[@Kavyatej]

0:27 - me living in an area which hits 40C everyday

[@plaintext7288]

summer Kyrgyzstan🎉

[@TanzeelSiddiqui]

Meanwhile western tech KZbinrs make a big deal if a phone lacks wireless charging.

[@pierrex3226]

It's a game of features.

[@ballsandcock]

well it’s still nice to have, and idk anyone who exclusively uses wireless charging

[@supervoveriukas]

I’m using baseus magsafe stand to charge my iPhone. Yes it gets longer to charge but it doesn’t get that hot as charging by wire. In my opinion mag safe magnets are the best way to perfectly align your phone to wireless charger.

[@KofieBluejay]

Thank you iFixit! Just a small geeky fix: it’s degree Celsius, not centigrade. This is not the same scale and I think you are using Celsius thermometers.

[@sdjhgfkshfswdfhskljh3360]

It looks like "centigrade" is just outdated name for "Celsius".

[@KofieBluejay]

@@sdjhgfkshfswdfhskljh3360 We could think so but this is not the same scale. It’s close, but not the same.

[@feynstein1004]

@@KofieBluejay I've never heard that before. How exactly are they different?

[@bradhaines3142]

@@KofieBluejay there are only 3 measures of temperature, farenheit, celsius, and kelvin. anything else is a word for one of those

[@KofieBluejay]

@@feynstein1004 They are different by around 0.025 degrees at 100 centigrade. In celsius, that would be 99,985 celsius (rounded). Sure it's very much minimal, but it is, by definition, not the same scale and the ISO norm is the celsius scale, not the centigrade.

[@Akuu820]

I've been waiting for someone to make this video for years!

[@the.bog.]

Just use a “slow” 5W wireless charger for overnight charging. It’s much better for your battery to slowly charge (after a deep cycle preferably) than a super fast charge on a wire or a powerful wireless charger

[@slavb0i646]

Its alot nicer to go eat breakfast and come back to your phone already charged to 85% in the morning than it is to have it on over night, when it will charge in the first 3 hours anyway.

[@berengerchristy6256]

If your phone is built to fast charge, fast charging does not wear out the battery. If it lacks sufficient battery management software or you are charging out of spec, then you will wear out your battery

[@CriticalTechReviews]

I fully prefer wireless because it protects the (frequently soldered to main motherboard, not daughterboard) USB port from wear. It WILL wear out in a number of years of daily charging, and then you're screwed, vs a bad battery that's always just a plug to replace once you're in the phone.

[@3mekG]

I really love wireless charging for slow charge overnight - I even connected my charger to slow power adapter on purpose - to not allow it to fast charge. What i really like os that I don't have to plug in a cable, not only does it look nice, but also does not wear the USB-C port. So you just have to use it in a smart way.

[@lowflyingdonut]

I am inventing a mechanical receptacle that allows for perfect alignment every time and also creates a DirectCurrent™ connection for maximum efficiency that also inproves battery life and allows for faster charging. It fits invisiblely in the end of the cable instead of requiring a "puck" or "stand", allowing for more flexible placement of the phone or device while charging. I call it "Plug In" charging technology.

[@aeelinnannelie5651]

And still Apple is heavily pushing for wireless charging while saying they removed the changer brick because they are a 'green' company

[@chethanforyou]

Yea always bugged me and they made this announcement at the same time

[@mirage809]

Great to see some solid numbers on charging efficiency and thermals. I’ve heard claims about wireless charging degrading battery life for as long as I’ve seen wireless chargers. But I’ve never seen people get into details and produce numbers. Are the temperature tolerances on lithium ion batteries that low? 35 degrees Celsius is stuff I see often on holidays and are quite common in some parts.

[@viStringTheory]

I'm glad to see someone calling this out. I wish this were more widely known so people could make informed choices to not purchase or use wireless charging.

[@angryakita3870]

Doesn’t everyone know this? Magnetic charging is convenient, not good.

[@od1sseas663]

How it’s convenient? It’s really that hard to plug a cable?

[@MegaLokopo]

They should just use the magnets to align metal contacts like they used to.

[@Donnner93]

I always use wireless charging when charging my phone during the night, it's waaay to convenient not to, and cable if I need to top it up during the day - Could be worth pointing out the wear and tear on the USB-port by constant having to plug it in, one of the reasons I prefer wireless charging for my phones, an S23 Ultra as of now.

[@TheVision2]

We really live in a world where spending 5 seconds to plug a cable in is not convenient. Good lord

[@BlownMacTruck]

@@TheVision2It’s fine. He pays for his complete laziness by shortening his battery life.

[@TheOneWhoMightBe]

I have a little magnetic connector that plugs into the charge port and is never removed. It means that there is a physical connection for the angry pixies to cross, but also has about 99% of the convenience of a wireless charger.

[@HansPannekoek-up3sr]

0:27 I’m confused: if you live near the equator, where it basically always is above 30c, your battery degrades faster?

[@hubertstrawinski]

Yes, I’m noticing faster battery degradation every summer, even though I live in Norway, where temperatures can reach over 25°C. When using my phone in full sun with maximum brightness, the battery is under constant stress. Playing Pokémon Go also causes the phone to get very hot, which accelerates this process. Warm climate is battery’s worst enemy.

[@Ulquiorra_Cifer]

Yeah generally my phone battery dies faster during summer or generally whenever the phone is hot

[@VanGtfogh]

Just as a datapoint, I’m still on a launch day iPhone 12 Pro and wirelessly charge overnight on most days, and the over all degradation doesn’t seem like that huge of a deal

[@ronlevin2339]

this is why I do not care if phone have a wireless coil, I never used it anyway

[@TheVision2]

Yet for some reason, it was a deal breaker for people trying to buy phones like the OnePlus open from last year. I argued for days and they didn't see reason

[@a1white]

I’m not using the wireless coil in mine again now!

[@nikol596]

This may sound like something with hindsight. I felt increased battery degradation when using wireless charging pad after I got my iPhone 11 in 201. The battery degradation went crazy. I initially guessed Apple may somehow use batteries of lower quality for iPhone 11 series but I was not sure. Happy that IFixit has cleared it out.

[@Jallerblue]

I think this is an example where the inefficiencies and battery degradation are absolutely worth it. Especially if you use Magsafe or Qi2 chargers, and actively cooled ones when possible. The convenience of Magsafe/Qi2 especially is incredible for phone mounts on desks and in cars to keep you topped up throughout the day and keep your phone easily accessible. Also, every phone I've ever used has had charging issues eventually before wireless charging (even my first USB-C phone). With my last phone, I used wireless charging almost exclusively and saved my USB-C port from the same fate. Videos like this are great to inform consumers about these trade-offs and what to look for to avoid the worst cases, but I definitely think this video is a bit overly critical of the technology.

[@nicolasescarpentier854]

This is fascinating, but there's one thing it does not address. The main reason I use wireless charging is to diminish the wear down on the USB port, and it's something several people around me worry about too. Granted, it might be a "problem of the past" with USB-C, but it is still a concern. I changed my past 2 phones due to a bad port, which lead to unstable charging (and even "fried" the internals of the oldest one!), so I went wireless to ensure I can use my device for far longer.

[@loucam08]

Never had a phone with wireless charging and never needed it. Seeing people mark down phones for not having it, especially budget phones, makes my eyes roll.

[@xetsuma]

The biggest issue with wireless charging is that the charging pad itself requires a cable, and it's so close to the phone that you might as well just plug that cable into the phone anyways.

[@obayrafi2632]

wireless charging is like freezing some water , then bringing that forzen ice above your head , heat it using a lighter , and then drinking the melted waterdrops. i honestly never understood the point behind wireless chargers.

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

You really dont understand why someone would use a wireless charger instead of plugging it in? Convenience, design, and overall tidiness.

[@smashbro5]

I used a wireless charger once when I was visiting family. I don't think I've ever felt my phone that hot before. Absolutely ridiculous that some people use this as the primary method of charging their phones. More ridiculous still that some people consider the lack of wireless charging a dealbreaker for a phone.

[@mattbosley3531]

I just like wireless charging because it's easy. I just set my phone down on the pad and it recharges. And I have CPU-Z on my phone to check the health and temperature of the battery. It doesn't get above 26 or 27 C.

[@JakobMusic]

04:12 Since every phone finally uses USB C I wouldn't even call it "dealing with cables". It's "plugging it in"

[@The.Jimmyboy]

I've charged my Sony Xperia 1 IV wirelessly for almost two years now without issue BUT that being said I've only charged at 5w max to keep temperatures down. If i charge at 15w the phone becomes quite toasty (battery temps close to 40C). Wired 30w charging pretty much never exceed 30C but wireless charging at 5w is only a degree or two above room temperature. It's nice to just drop the phone on a pad after work and if I need faster charging wired is always an option.

[@MervinDeJager-o2s]

I always air travel with my magsafe. On a few airlines when wiring my iphone into their usb-A port, and after refusing the "Trust this Device", my phone simply won't charge. Using original cable or not. Same goes for using 3rd party cables and wall chargers. And replacing Apple cables and chargers with originals are not for the faint hearted. They can't access your iPhone over any magsafe charger. I'll rather stick to that in public, that means air travel or hotel usb ports.

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

Can we stop calling it wireless charging and just call it induction charging? When real wireless charging arrives, what will that be called?

[@mizatt]

Long range wireless charging

[@De4dSp0t]

ULTRA PRO WIRELESS SUPER CHARGING 3.0 Obviously.

[@jackwilson5542]

"True wireless charging"

[@Devo_gx]

Of course, with wired charging you run the risk of eventually damaging the charging port. Depending on the phone, it may be harder and more expensive to replace the charging port than the battery

[@radikk7874]

I use a wireless charging stand for iPhone and apple watch. They are always on it. I never have to bother about checking battery and charging before going out. When I take my phone, it’s always full. The same goes for the watch. I will change my phone faster than the battery dying.

[@thefilmdirector1]

same, and mines vertical, and my phone never gets hot or even warm when on it. Been using it for well over a year and no battery degradation issues, though to be fair i barely use my phone so it just sits there on the pad 24/7 in "idle" mode (charger light turns red showing its fully charged but keeps it trickle topped up while the phone sleeps)

[@RenatoLaporte]

I’ven been a big fan of magsafe charger. Been using almost exclusively on my 13 pro max since its launch and I do not see any extreme battery wear, even with the frequency I charge my phone due to how much i use it. Must add that i live in a pretty cold region, with summer with >25° temperatures only lasting for a couple of weeks. When its hot i definitely feel my phone getting toasty no matter how I charge it. One solution I used last year was to put the phone in a thin plastic container, add a thin layer of water and then connect the magsafe under the container.

[@NJdaniels96]

Even if efficiency was equal, I still wouldn't see the appeal of wireless charging. The pad still needs to be plugged into the wall with a cord. Is it really that more convenient to place your phone on a pad than it is to put your phone in the exact same place and plug it in? Also, a big use case for wired charging is that you can continue to hold and use your device while it's charging. It's a lot less ergonomic to do that with wireless.

[@oneunderall]

@2:45 use large bold font for your labels and axis numbering, even at 2160p we have to squint to see this.

[@pierrex3226]

Would be interesting to quantify the extra energy cost if an entire country switches to wireless. Compared to AC vs fan, or phone vs computer, the energy demand of phones is trivial.

[@mustafaaniladanir]

I remember when this was like the biggest feature ever but most people rarely ever use it now.

[@adineamtz]

I use MagSafe chargers with integrated cooling fans to keep the temperature down. Works like a charm

[@asamson23]

Ever since I switched to using iPhones, I really enjoy the convenience of plopping down my phone on my magsafe compatible wireless chargers. I don't mind the slower charging time as I put it there for the night. However, if I need the charge to be done faster, I will most certainly plug my phone into a faster wired charger.

[@JonnyFlash80]

Dont forget people. The faster you charge, the more heat generated. So if charging overnight ALWAYS turn off fast wireless charging. Also turn on the "protect battery" feature if you have it to only charge to 80% when its feasible.

[@zadyeDK]

i know Wireless is worse than wired, but it is so much more convenient to park the phone without thinking about cables (beside the one in the charger)

[@Sleetui]

I’ve always wondered why my iPhone heats up so much when placed on the wireless charging pad in any Tesla I’ve been in. And it took forever to charge. Wired is still the best option. Wireless is just convenient.

[@alcion8423]

You mean the best way to improve efficiency is by not being lazy?

[@leoni7649]

Why don't the make a mechanism for the coil to follow the phone instead of spreading a ton of coils? Phones already have magnets and other stuff so it must be easier to find where the phone is. There must be a smarter way of making a wireless charging that moves its coil towards the phone no matter how the phone is positioned.

[@collectorguy3919]

A wireless charger needs a small fan to keep the phone from overheating.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Good luck convincing a product designer to add a noisy fan to his sleek flat wireless charger...

[@AlexTheStampede]

Honestly I’m confused by the lack of phone coolers with wireless charging. Seems a good combo, lowering temperatures while charging…

[@JustARegularNerd]

Having a fan would use even more power though, further decreasing the efficiency

[@h4tch3tt74]

​​@@AlexTheStampede Newer wired charging adapters are using better materials to mitigate heat generation. Also having a dual cell battery helps as it allows for parallel charging which reduces battery wear and increases charging speed slightly

[@collectorguy3919]

@@JustARegularNerd Yes, but at least the battery's life will not be shortened.

[@AGreyGoat]

I’ve used a mag safe charger since day 1 on my iPhone 13 Pro Max. My battery health is currently at 86% I have a wireless car charger that isn’t that strong and this video explains why almost every time I use it my phone cuts the charging due to overheating. The phone must drop down slightly and get misaligned with the coils

[@PS1212]

Prevents loss of cables from damage, screw the energy losses.

[@asdqqq846]

I had my previous iPhone usually for 2 years. Within the first year the battery health sticked usually around 96 to 100%. Then within the second year dropped to 88-92. now with my 13 pro which basically only was charged wirelessly I already hit 85% after 2 years and am now at around 81% 2 1/2 years in.

[@HansyPants184]

I remember being so excited about wireless charging on my Nexus 4 until I actually tried it and wondered if it was going to burn my house down in my sleep lol.

[@BobCollins42]

You completely ignored a big reason for wireless charging: avoiding having the wired connectors wear out. The energy waste is not likely to be more significant than the physical waste of broken phones, repaired or not.

[@simpson6700]

just how often do people plug and unplug their phone? i had a cheap 100€ samsung phone with a micro usb port that didn't wear out in 4 years, so i really don't think that's an issue, with usb c being a more robust connector than micro.

[@BobCollins42]

@@simpson6700 I plug and unplug multiple times every day.

[@soacespacestation8556]

@@BobCollins42 My mom did that too for 6 years, and the C port is still going strong.

[@MalfosRanger]

This comment section is the first time I’ve heard charging ports going bad was a thing. I’ve never had a phone or tablet stop charging for that reason. I’m more worried about the battery degrading than the charging port breaking.