The 5 most common misconceptions of Qi wireless charging

Blog | 9th April 2019

Whether you are considering to switch to wireless charging or already using it on a regular basis, you probably read or heard about some rumors that made you doubt whether you should fully embrace the wireless charging technology. Is it impractical? Does it matter which Qi claim is being made? Is it safe? Zens uncovers the 5 most common misconceptions of wireless charging.

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ZENS Foreign Object Detection (FOD) - Wireless Charging Safety

Misconception #1: most smartphones don’t support wireless charging, making it impractical to use
Truth: not anymore, with Apple adding wireless charging to their iPhone 8 and all later models, most phones sold today support Qi wireless charging. Moreover, Qi is not only being integrated in phones, but also found its way to powerbanks, AirPods and other kind of devices.

Misconception #2: ‘’Qi compatible’’, ‘’Qi compliant’’, ‘’works with Qi’’ and ‘’Qi certified’’ are all the same
Truth: all products using the Qi standard must be tested rigorously to help ensure safety, interoperability and energy efficiency. Only products that have passed the independent laboratory tests can use the Qi logo and are considered ‘Qi-certified’. Pay close attention to the Qi claim that is made; ‘Qi-certified’ is the only official claim. Any claims like ‘Qi compliant’, ‘Qi compatible’ or ‘works with Qi’ may indicate the product has not undergone official Qi certification testing.

Did you know…
ZENS joined the Wireless Power Consortium (owners of the Qi standard) as one of its first members and all ZENS products are officially Qi certified.

Misconception #3: wireless charging is not useful because I can’t use my phone while it is being charged
Truth: you can’t use your phone while charging it wirelessly, which lets a lot of people to believe that wireless charging is not convenient. On the contrary, wireless charging is all about convenience and ease of use; the right mindset when using wireless charging is to simply charge your phone when you are not using it. Compare it to an electrical car; you don’t wait with charging until the car is practically empty, instead you charge the car when you have the time and don’t need it.
Would you like to use wireless charging but still use your phone while it is being charged? This powerbank with adhesive grip allows you to do both at the same time.

Did you know…
In the near future, you can wirelessly recharge your devices anywhere you go; at home, at work, on the go, during lunch, in your hotel, or at your favorite restaurant/bar, thanks to the increasing number of integrated wireless charging spots in public spaces.

Misconception #4: a charger with a higher output will charge my iPhone or Samsung device faster
Truth: it depends on whether both your phone and the charger support fast wireless charging. Thus a 10W wireless charger does not automatically support Apple and/or Samsung Fast Charge, unless the specific Fast Charge technology has been integrated in the design. If you want to use Fast Charge, make sure to look for a wireless charger which supports Apple and/or Samsung Fast Charge.

Did you know…
For all ZENS wireless chargers, the product specifications tell you whether the charger supports Apple Fast Charge or Samsung Fast Charge.

Misconception #5: wireless charging is unsafe
Truth: wireless charging is safe. Wireless charging systems must obey a set of rules and regulations, one of which is Foreign Object Detection (FOD). This is an embedded safety mechanism that automatically stops charging if there is interference caused by a foreign object such as metal (e.g. coins, paperclips, bankcards). Thus, all kinds of precautions have been taken to make sure that wireless charging is safe. Compare it to inductive cooking, which is basically the same technology; did you ever doubt the safety of your cooking plate? This utilizes much more power (~5000W) than current wireless charging stations (~5-15W).

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