5 ms·

I mean...there are still wires. Just not connected directly to your phone.

higherpurpose 11y ago
Yup. The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. Rezence's (now also Powermat's) technology I think makes more sense for something like this.
- chollida1 11y ago
  > The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. I agree in terms of effort, the change is minimal, but consider a family who has 3 or 4 different devices and hence ports,. required to charge. This means I don't need to hunt down the proper cord, we just have a couple of these devices at the front door. To me, that's eliminates a large pain in the ass. At work no one needs to ask if someone has a black berry version 3 cord, or a "new style" Samsung galaxy cord, or the latest iPhone charging cable, you just put your phone down and walk away:) it's a first world problem that is being solved here, but it's a big one that doesn't appear to be going away. European posturing aside. http://www.cnet.com/news/eu-wants-all-companies-ahem-apple-to-use-standard-charger/ http://www.cnet.com/news/eu-wants-all-companies-ahem-apple-t...
  - benkuykendall 11y ago
    I really thought that micro-usb everywhere would do the trick. Apple seems to be holding out, but the rest of the devices my family uses have interchangeable chargers (kindles, android phones from assorted manufacturers, tablets). Obviously, standardization of charging methods is helpful, but honestly, I don't see the advantage of choosing Qi as a standard instead of micro-usb.
    - fragmede 11y ago
      > choosing Qi as a standard instead of micro-usb. Well, if you've ever had a port or cable break on you, you should know why. It doesn't have exposed wires or moving parts, which means it should be much harder to break. Micro-usb is only rated for 10k insertions. If you plug your phone in 10 times a day, that's 2.5 years, and Galaxy S3's are quickly coming up on that old.
      - bostonpete 11y ago
        10 times a day seems like a pretty high average. I'd estimate I'm closer to 5.
  - wernercd 11y ago
    Advantages? No wires to plug/unplug: Wires break. Phone parts break. Headphone jacks break. Wear and tear are a pita. I have a Qi charger at my bed, in my computer room, car and work desk... I can just set my phone down at any of those places and not worry about fudging with wires (also have bluetooth headsets lying around). I've had to replace phones due to broken/worn out jacks.
- fragmede 11y ago
  > Rezence's (now also Powermat's) technology I think makes more sense for something like this. Having only used devices using Qi's standard, what's the difference?
- jewel 11y ago
  I have a Nexus 5 with their wireless charger, and it makes a huge difference for me. Their charger is magnetic so the phone snaps into the correct location. In my case it's on my nightstand next to my bed. The ability to "plug in" my phone with one hand is fantastic. When I am getting ready for bed I take my phone out of my pocket and put it on the charger, and go change into my pajamas. Then, later, while laying in bed, I might decide to read something so I pick up my phone and read. If I get an early morning phone call, I can grab my phone with my eyes closed and answer it. Admittedly a long cable might make those use cases workable. My friend has his charger on his desk at work and doesn't charge the phone at home. If I knew that the Nexus line were going to stay magnetic, I'd have one in my car mounted upright as well as one on my desk at home and work.
- untog 11y ago
  The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. I thought that too, until I used one. I have a charging mat on my desk, so without even thinking about it now, every time I sit down I put my phone on the pad and it starts charging. Given that I get up and sit down a lot during the day (for meetings, etc) not having to fuss around with plugging in a charging cable (a two handed operation) is a blessing. Yes, it's an absolute first world problem, but IMO charging mats are well worth it. It's just a shame that Apple still doesn't build in support for them. That said, docks have much the same effect, albeit with more breakable parts.
- ben1040 11y ago
  >The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. Having bought a Tylt Vu easel-style wireless charger I disagree. It's far more convenient to have the charger on my nightstand. I don't have to have a USB cord dangling around. I also don't have to fumble with it in the dark if my wife goes to bed before I do. It seems to be a law of nature that you can never plug in a USB cord the right direction the first time around.
  - calgoo 11y ago
    I make sure that the usb cable has the usb symbol that i can feel with my fingers. it makes it a lot easier in the night just to pass my thumb over the cable end to see which way is up.
- smackfu 11y ago
  The pad looks nicer than a wire.
  - mr_skittles7 11y ago
    Have you any of you guys every used Stir's furniture?
- mstromb 11y ago
  I liked their example of a restaurant putting them in the bar top. Right now people who want to charge their phones have to decide if you want to plug in a data cable with something unknown on the other end. With wireless charging the attack surface is greatly reduced, if harder to eliminate completely (programming the embedded charge controller vs using a USB condom).
- KeytarHero 11y ago
  As others have said, it's nice to just pick up your phone off the pad, use it, and put it back, without having to unplug & plug it back in. But personally, there's one much bigger reason wireless is so much better than USB: Qi doesn't wear out your USB jack. After plugging & unplugging my phone at least once a day for a year or two (and occasionally bumping it while plugged in), the USB jack eventually became an extremely finnicky, barely-usable pain in the ass.
baddox 11y ago
That is generally the case for all things marketed as "wireless."
bentcorner 11y ago
To be fair, it's wires all the way down.
Sanddancer 11y ago
Yes, but being built into a piece of furniture with other wires means that those wires are easily managed and/or put in places where you wouldn't want to have a bare usb micro-b port lying around.

Yup. The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. Rezence's (now also Powermat's) technology I think makes more sense for something like this.

chollida1 11y ago
> The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. I agree in terms of effort, the change is minimal, but consider a family who has 3 or 4 different devices and hence ports,. required to charge. This means I don't need to hunt down the proper cord, we just have a couple of these devices at the front door. To me, that's eliminates a large pain in the ass. At work no one needs to ask if someone has a black berry version 3 cord, or a "new style" Samsung galaxy cord, or the latest iPhone charging cable, you just put your phone down and walk away:) it's a first world problem that is being solved here, but it's a big one that doesn't appear to be going away. European posturing aside. http://www.cnet.com/news/eu-wants-all-companies-ahem-apple-to-use-standard-charger/ http://www.cnet.com/news/eu-wants-all-companies-ahem-apple-t...
- benkuykendall 11y ago
  I really thought that micro-usb everywhere would do the trick. Apple seems to be holding out, but the rest of the devices my family uses have interchangeable chargers (kindles, android phones from assorted manufacturers, tablets). Obviously, standardization of charging methods is helpful, but honestly, I don't see the advantage of choosing Qi as a standard instead of micro-usb.
  - fragmede 11y ago
    > choosing Qi as a standard instead of micro-usb. Well, if you've ever had a port or cable break on you, you should know why. It doesn't have exposed wires or moving parts, which means it should be much harder to break. Micro-usb is only rated for 10k insertions. If you plug your phone in 10 times a day, that's 2.5 years, and Galaxy S3's are quickly coming up on that old.
    - bostonpete 11y ago
      10 times a day seems like a pretty high average. I'd estimate I'm closer to 5.
- wernercd 11y ago
  Advantages? No wires to plug/unplug: Wires break. Phone parts break. Headphone jacks break. Wear and tear are a pita. I have a Qi charger at my bed, in my computer room, car and work desk... I can just set my phone down at any of those places and not worry about fudging with wires (also have bluetooth headsets lying around). I've had to replace phones due to broken/worn out jacks.
fragmede 11y ago
> Rezence's (now also Powermat's) technology I think makes more sense for something like this. Having only used devices using Qi's standard, what's the difference?
jewel 11y ago
I have a Nexus 5 with their wireless charger, and it makes a huge difference for me. Their charger is magnetic so the phone snaps into the correct location. In my case it's on my nightstand next to my bed. The ability to "plug in" my phone with one hand is fantastic. When I am getting ready for bed I take my phone out of my pocket and put it on the charger, and go change into my pajamas. Then, later, while laying in bed, I might decide to read something so I pick up my phone and read. If I get an early morning phone call, I can grab my phone with my eyes closed and answer it. Admittedly a long cable might make those use cases workable. My friend has his charger on his desk at work and doesn't charge the phone at home. If I knew that the Nexus line were going to stay magnetic, I'd have one in my car mounted upright as well as one on my desk at home and work.
untog 11y ago
The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. I thought that too, until I used one. I have a charging mat on my desk, so without even thinking about it now, every time I sit down I put my phone on the pad and it starts charging. Given that I get up and sit down a lot during the day (for meetings, etc) not having to fuss around with plugging in a charging cable (a two handed operation) is a blessing. Yes, it's an absolute first world problem, but IMO charging mats are well worth it. It's just a shame that Apple still doesn't build in support for them. That said, docks have much the same effect, albeit with more breakable parts.
ben1040 11y ago
>The difference between plugging the phone and putting it in a special Qi dock seems minimal. Having bought a Tylt Vu easel-style wireless charger I disagree. It's far more convenient to have the charger on my nightstand. I don't have to have a USB cord dangling around. I also don't have to fumble with it in the dark if my wife goes to bed before I do. It seems to be a law of nature that you can never plug in a USB cord the right direction the first time around.
- calgoo 11y ago
  I make sure that the usb cable has the usb symbol that i can feel with my fingers. it makes it a lot easier in the night just to pass my thumb over the cable end to see which way is up.
smackfu 11y ago
The pad looks nicer than a wire.
- mr_skittles7 11y ago
  Have you any of you guys every used Stir's furniture?
mstromb 11y ago
I liked their example of a restaurant putting them in the bar top. Right now people who want to charge their phones have to decide if you want to plug in a data cable with something unknown on the other end. With wireless charging the attack surface is greatly reduced, if harder to eliminate completely (programming the embedded charge controller vs using a USB condom).
KeytarHero 11y ago
As others have said, it's nice to just pick up your phone off the pad, use it, and put it back, without having to unplug & plug it back in. But personally, there's one much bigger reason wireless is so much better than USB: Qi doesn't wear out your USB jack. After plugging & unplugging my phone at least once a day for a year or two (and occasionally bumping it while plugged in), the USB jack eventually became an extremely finnicky, barely-usable pain in the ass.

baddox 11y ago

That is generally the case for all things marketed as "wireless."

bentcorner 11y ago

To be fair, it's wires all the way down.

Sanddancer 11y ago

Yes, but being built into a piece of furniture with other wires means that those wires are easily managed and/or put in places where you wouldn't want to have a bare usb micro-b port lying around.