Is a wireless charger better? Here’s how to decide.

Nowadays, if you buy a new gadget, you will most likely find that it supports wireless charging. After a slow start, this wire-free technology has been widely adopted by most consumer electronics companies and can be used in a variety of devices – from cell phones and tablets to smartwatches and headphones.

However, just because your new device supports wireless chargers doesn't necessarily mean you should choose it or use it every time you need to charge your electronics. Both standards have their pros and cons, including speed, convenience and energy efficiency.

Advantages of wired charging

While wireless charging is a newer and seemingly cooler technology, wired charging still has many advantages.

First and most importantly, it can charge your device faster. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S22 supports up to 25W with a traditional charger and up to 15W with wireless charging, making wired charging nearly twice as fast.

[Related: Best Wireless Mobile Phone Charger of 2022]

These speed differences vary by device, but wired charging almost always provides a significant speed boost. If you need to boost your battery as quickly as possible, your old-style charger is the best choice for you. Wireless charging speed increases over time, but the corresponding wireless charging speed is also increasing.

Secondly, wireless charging consumes more energy and has lower efficiency. Rough calculations show that wireless chargers require almost 50% more energy to fully fill a phone, but this varies by device and charger. This is something you need to be aware of if you are focusing on electricity bills or want to minimize your carbon footprint, although this doesn’t take into account other environmental costs, such as replacement cables for traditional chargers.

Also, consider that wireless charging usually costs you more money. Most devices will at least come with a charging cable in the box, and if there is no full adapter, you will also need to spend extra money on a wireless solution, which is usually between $15 and $40.

Lastly, in most cases, it is easier to use your phone or tablet when charging if the device is connected to a power source via a cable.

Advantages of wireless charging

The most obvious advantage of wireless charging, and the advantage you will notice immediately, is convenience: no need to look for cables in the small space between the bed and the nightstand, you just need to place the device on the charging pad or on the stand Can. Also, if you move your device frequently between charging – if you’re using a phone, you probably do it often – it’s much easier to just pick it up and put it down than having to unplug and reconnect it every time you’re going to do it .

The versatility of wireless charging is also worth mentioning. With the exception that Apple watches are a notable exception, almost all devices supporting this technology use the Qi standard. This means you can use the same charging pad for different phones, tablets and headphones, so you can replace all those dragged cables with a charging pad, which will instantly be multiple once these devices require extra power. The device is charged.

Manufacturers sometimes create their own wireless charging standards to make it more convenient for their customers. That's what Apple does in the MagSafe standard launched by iPhone 12. It uses a series of magnets to ensure that the wireless charger can snap into place, delivering power as efficiently as possible. But if you don't want to do this, you don't have to stick with buying Apple's chargers, as third parties also produce various accessories that support this standard.

Make a choice

Regardless of their pros and cons, there is no real objective winner in the competition between wired chargers and wireless chargers. Ultimately, it really depends on the type of devices you use, the different standards they support, and how long it takes to fully charge the battery based on the charger you are using.

It also depends on the equipment you have and how you use them. You may want to use it while your tablet is charging, which means wired charging makes more sense. However, when it comes to headphones, the choice doesn't matter – you can't use them when they are charged because they will be in their box.

[Related: Install the wireless charger directly into the desk]

You can also use two methods to charge your device at the same time, but understanding the pros and cons will help you make an informed decision. For example, you might want to use wired charging overnight at home and wireless charging at the office.

If you need help finding the right charging device for your device, check out our guide to find the best wireless charger for your phone.

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