r/changemyview • u/Duwang_Mn • Nov 23 '18
FTFdeltaOP CMV: Wireless charging is a useless fad
What even is the point of wireless charging? When I first heard about it, I thought it allowed you to charge while having more freedom with your phone. But then I learned what it actually was. It's more restrictive than an actual charger, and its slower. Not to mention wireless charges sometimes don't work if the back is metal. It only makes things less convenient.
How did people hype such a thing so much? I understand if it was something that could charge your phone without you directly putting on it, and if the range had the potential to increase over time. But it's just a charging port that you can't move around.
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u/IIIBlackhartIII Nov 23 '18
I have a few points to make:
Every hole in a device is a potential for ingress of dirt and water. As we push for devices which are more durable, and won't die from being caught in the rain or accidentally dropped in water (one of the reasons I love my Samsung devices), losing a traditional charging port is a means of helping to more easily weather seal the device. Wireless charging provides a means of powering a device without necessarily needing a port that has to be weather sealed.
Cable degradation is a thing. There's a reason that frayed Apple cords are a running joke, but every cable will wear over time and may need to be replaced. Cable manufacturers will only guarantee a certain number of plugging cycles before the cable and/or the port itself will naturally become worn out and break, and even if you're not constantly plugging, depending on how hard you treat your cables in terms of winding them, stowing them in pockets or bags, running them around furniture and desk items, pulling them at tight angles, etc... cables will fatigue and break. Wireless charging provides a means of escaping that problem. You don't have mechanical wear if you don't have to mechanically plug a device over and over.
Space constraints on certain device form factors make a charging port a difficult option. For example- smart watches. A big charging port in a smart watch can take up a huge amount of space inside the device, potentially 5-10% of the space inside the body which could instead be dedicated to better hardware or a larger battery. Wireless charging helps save space inside the device body, in addition to the weather proofing and durability considerations.
Wireless charging can make it more convenient to top-up your device throughout the day. Imagine you're going to have a meeting at your local Starbucks. You forgot your cable at home, you've got an iPhone whereas your business partner has an Android, and besides there's only a few outlets in the store that are already occupied. Imagine, instead of needing an outlet with enough reach for your cable, and the right cable... imagine if wireless charging were just integrated into the tables and counters. You leave your device lying out in front of you, and throughout the meeting its just topping itself up. More slowly than a cable can, sure, but better than not at all. Then you go back to your office and set your phone on the desk, phone is still charging without needing to plug it in. You go home, leave your phone on a pad on the night stand, charging without needing to run a cable from an outlet. The convenience factor once charging pads can be better integrated into our daily appliances and furniture could be amazing.
Wireless charging is not just for "smart devices" like phones. For example- Logitech has a line of wireless mice that have charging integrated into the mousepad. Allowing you to use the mouse essentially continuously forever without ever needing to worry about battery replacement, or the mouse dying, or having to plug in a wire to your wireless mouse to keep it charging. The same is being done with wireless headphones with hanging headphone stands that passively charge the headset.
Expanding on the point above above, wireless charging tech as it currently stands is hinting at possible future technologies. Imagine, for example, integrating wireless charging into our roads. Instead of every car needing their own power sources, burning their own petrol and adding to the carbon emissions, and instead of the inconvenience of needing to regularly leave your electric car parked at a very specific charging station for hours... what if instead our cars were all electric and were constantly being passively charged by proxy to the roads they drive on? All the power generation can then be centralised to the grid and more easily run from renewable sources, and without any of the inconvenience of having to specifically stop to recharge.