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Comment by newaccount74 | Hacker News Reader

I tried to jump on the Qi bandwagon and got a bunch of Qi chargers, and various devices (iPhone, Airpods, Mouse)

Unfortunately, the experience just sucks. Charging is slow, if you misalign it it doesn't charge (some devices have the coil off-center!), devices get hot while charging, chargers that work well for phones don't work for other devices...

I'm disappointed and I've mostly gone back to charging with cables.

I haven't tried any Magsafe stuff yet, but since it only works with iPhones it's a non-starter. I don't want a charger that charges just a single device.

If Qi2 gets adopted it may be worth a try, but I think ultimately wireless charging is a gimmick that may be useful in special scenarios (eg. car mount), but for the most part I don't think it's a replacement for cables.

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if you misalign it it doesn't charge (some devices have the coil off-center!)

This is solved by MagSafe, the magnets are so strong that it snaps to the device. My wife always charges her phone with Apple's MagSafe charger. I also have one, but since I only charge overnight, plugging in a cable is not much effort.

If Qi2 would become more popular, perhaps cafes, restaurants, etc. could have wireless charging spots.

I have a belkin 3-in-1 charger. The phone basically attaches via the magnet and “floats”, so it has to align properly. Same with the Apple MagSafe charger that can also fast charge. It snaps in place. Both are great for lazy absentminded people like me.

Got the Belkin magsafe 3-in-1 for a Christmas gift. It is amazing for someone who has far too many apple devices (Phone, Airpods, Watch, etc). Drastically reduced my clutter on the end stand.

Same reason I got one for my wife.

Starbucks tried this in 2015! https://stories.starbucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Fac... [pdf]

> the magnets are so strong that it snaps to the device

wouldn't that mean if you take your phone, the charger still sticks to it?

when I was using qi, I'd have it on my desk, and of course I regularly pick up my phone with one hand to do something with it or take it with me, can't un-stick a charger at the same time with one hand...

Isn't that a feature, since it allows while in use charging?

You can unstick it with one hand easily because you’re normally using something like a vertical stand or a mat that’s heavy enough. You just have to lift the phone from the bottom or top rather than the middle.

It doesn't stick strongly enough that you can't push it off with your fingers-- easier to do that one-handed than unplugging a Lightning or USB-C cable.

With a heavier Magsafe charger (like most of the stands out there), you can just lift the phone off and the charger won't come with it. MagSafe's just strong enough to hold a phone on a stand or hold a charger puck to the phone, but not much more.

I pick up my iPhone on a MagSafe charger with one hand all the time. As I pick it up I just use a finger to slide the MagSafe puck sideways and it releases. Not a big deal at all.

Magnets detach when force is applied at an angle. So it’s pretty easy to pull off

I went one on the night stand. It’s in an holder with a gecko-style sticky bottom so it doesn’t move.

What does stops current cafes to have regular wireless charging spots ?

From what I've heard from starbucks employees who were there during the wireless charger tests: theft, device incompatibility, and people didn't know how it worked creating increased stress on baristas.

Once there is a universal standard every phone uses, it works 100% of the time (magsafe does help here), and is able to be completely flat (or incorporated into tables/desks), then you'll see an uptick in wireless chargers at cafes/restaurants.

I think hotels have been adopting them faster.

I don't understand why you are trying to create a standard when there is already one. My android phone can wirelessly share battery to an IPhone, my external battery can also charge wirelessly androids or iphones.

heck, even induction cooktop can charge phones.

> is able to be completely flat

Did you looked it up on amazon ? There are tons of flat charger.

I use Qi most of the time at my desks, cheap chargers from Anker and Ikea. Alignment by touch is second nature and easy with one hand (vs two to plug in a cable). It probably depends what your usage pattern is but I find it very convenient. I use a cable in my car because it's more reliable and less ambiguous whose phone should connect to the dash display.

I can easily one-hand a Lightning cable in/out of an iPhone with my non-dominant hand if the phone is on a surface. It's actually the way I usually do it.

Yep, and the hotter your battery gets, the faster it's going to fail. Some estimates state that for every 15 degrees F over 77, battery life is cut in half. It's a lose lose situation :(

I got a pretty cheap anker QI charger that is "phone shaped" and havent had any issues. It looks something like this [1]. You can easily align by feel even in the dark. It also has a circle where the coils are which makes it really easy align my airpods as well. Very happy overall.

[1] - https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Charger-Charging-Station-C3/...

EDIT: looks like this is the one I have https://www.ignite-supplies.com/anker-powerwave-7-5w-rectang...

It’s absolutely an amazing replacement for cables IF you can get the magnetic alignment that MagSafe has. Have you used a Mac? You really want to stick to the USB-C charger that can drag your computer off the table?

Magsafe chargers work with Android phones, it just won't snap into place unless you buy a specific case like the Peak Design Everyday case.

Not a great concession, but FWIW, the MagSafe puck also charges the AirPods case. Same goes for the Apple Watch charger.

An iPhone snaps in to the strong magnets in Apple's wireless charging pad, and I can say it works flawlessly and almost as fast as charging over USB-C. Using it all the time, also helps with wear on USB plugs.

I bought a cheap wireless charging stand years ago, and it reliably charges my phone every night. My LG G6 developed chronic USB moisture sensor false-positives because of the lack of wear on the port.

The problem with wireless chargers is you have to keep a thing sitting around vs a cable you can shove off to the side. I too bought a bunch but lost interest in using them as they were in the way.

Personally, I have the opposite problem: whenever I push a cable off to the side, it'll inevitably fall down behind the desk/cabinet/side table/whatever. Clips can help, but it can still be a minor nuisance.

That said, your complaint isn't uncommon. I build furniture on the side, and have built a couple desks and night stands with built-in wireless chargers for people who wanted everything hidden and out of the way. The charger gets mounted from the underside so that nothing is visible, and I inlay a marker--something like a ring or bowtie inlay--on the surface so you know where to align your phone.

I've also seen chargers on the market that can be mounted into a hole you drill or are sized to fit standard wire grommet holes common on most desks for sale. That's way less fun (IMO), but anyone can install them with a few minutes and a hole saw (or an existing grommet hole, if it fits). No clue if you can find Magsafe ones, but I'd assume so.

I have a nice charging pad on my desk under my monitor. I have a few phones that I use right now (one for work, one personal, one is a gadget), and it's really nice to just plop them on there when they're at like 50%.

The slow charging is fine by me. Fast charging wears the battery out faster.

With this, I don't have to worry about lightning vs usb-c or whatever. I don't have to worry about my work phone trying to share data with my computer. I don't have to worry about annoying programs trying to sync with my personal phones lol.

Regular Qi stinks b/c of alignment issues. MagSafe is great if you're going to use wireless charging.

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