Wireless charging, the term is very popular nowadays because many manufacturers are working on it and it becomes one of the latest trends in the world of smartphone. Wireless charging means we usually refer to inductive charging. Qi is a standard technology for the purpose of inductive electrical power transfer and this technology is developed by Wireless Power Consortium. It can transfer power up to 4 cm distances.
Many of you may think that there is no need to plug in your phone if you use wireless charger, but the concept is little different. You need to plug in the charging pad in to a power supply, be it a computer, power bank or wall plug. So, wireless charging does not means that it is completely wire free.
See also- How to fix wireless charging problem on Nokia Lumia
The concept of Qi charger is clear to us, now the questions that may arise in your mind are how to use the Qi wireless charger with your smartphone? Is every smartphone compatible to it? Well read on to know the answers.
What all the smartphones are compatible with Qi charging
The number of phones that supports the Qi charging is growing rapidly. Here is a list of the smartphones that support Qi charging:
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Google Nexus 4-7
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Motorola Droid Maxx
Nokia Lumia 920
Nokia Lumia 928
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia Lumia 929
Nokia Lumia 930
If your smartphone supports Qi charging, you only need to buy a Qi charging pad. Once you buy the charging pad all you need to do is plug it into a power supply and put your phone on the top.
Steps to add Qi charging to an unsupported phone
If you have a smartphone that is compatible to Qi charging, then it is good but if the phone is not supported then what to do? A large number of people use Apple devices but as the Apple’s phones do not support Qi charging so the users cannot take the advantage of it. But nothing to worry, ways are there following which you can add Qi charging to your any phone.
For iPhone 6/ 6 Plus / 5 / 5s / 5c
– A viable way is there to add Qi charging to your iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5, 5s and 5c. The accessory is available at a price of £19.99 which is not so high. The accessory may not be looking perfect and attractive but the iQi Mobile Qi charging receiver claims to add wireless charger on your iPhone. The accessory comes with a Qi charging receiver along with a lighting connector. The unique connector is connected through a thin ribbon cable. The concept is that the Qi charging receiver sits between your iPhone and your case using a thin case with the lightning cable plugged in permanently.
For android phones
– Android users or any other smartphone users who use smartphones that have a USB charging port are able to get the advantage of wireless charging. The way to enable Qi charging on your android phone is almost similar to iPhone but here instead of sitting the wireless charging receiver between a case and your phone you need to stick it on the back with the provided film and the Micro USB needs to be plugged in to your phone. It will not add any extra weight to your phone as this is ultra thin. The accessory which is available in Amazon works almost with every smartphone that has a Micro USB slot. The price is also very reasonable, only £6.49 which is much cheaper than the wireless accessory of iPhone.
If the phone you are using has a back cover that is removable then there is another easy alternative. Use the same Qi charging receiver, plug in the Micro USB into the charger, stick the film inside the cover and then again close the cover to your phone. If the steps are done correctly your phone will start charging the moment you put it on a Qi charger.
