Wireless Charging

Even with all the uncertainty and chaos that the COVID-19 virus has caused all over the world, it's still business as usual for some phone makers, especially those that have yet to announce their 2020 contenders. OnePlus may be stepping up its schedule a month early if rumors are correct but, unsurprisingly, almost everything about the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro has become common knowledge by now. One last-minute arrival pretty much sums up what fans could expect from this year's more expensive flagship killer.

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After Apple wound up canceling its AirPower charging pad - the one that was supposed to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once - other manufacturers have been stepping up to fill the gaps. Logitech is the latest company to throw its hat in the ring, today announcing the Powered Wireless Charging 3-in-1 dock.

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While most of the smartphone market is obsessed with mobile cameras, it seems that Chinese phone makers are also having their own small rivalry. Xiaomi and OPPO, in particular, are seemingly in a race to launch the fastest charging technologies, both wired and wireless, inside their smartphones. Xiaomi definitely has definitely made big claims, especially with its 100W charging demonstration, and it's now making a similar show of prowess with wireless charging. Unfortunately, it also leaves the same question unanswered as before.

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Wireless charging has finally become more accepted, partly thanks to Apple adopting the long-existing feature on its iPhone X generation onward. Despite the conveniences it offers, however, the technology is far from being worry-free and painless. In addition to slower charging rates, current wireless charging tech requires properly placing the device on top of the plate. As many smartphone owners have realized, sometimes to their horror, that doesn't always happen. Short of improving wireless charging itself, Google may be introducing a small change that will hopefully save users some headaches.

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Wireless headsets, those bulky over-the-ear cups you put on your head, are a dime a dozen these days. Almost all of them, however, aren't completely wireless. When it comes to recharging the batteries that power their wireless audio connectivity, they suddenly become enslaved once more to the inescapable power cable. HyperX, however, wants to break free with the Cloud Flight S, the first wireless headset to support the Qi wireless charging for complete freedom and portability.

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A set of new mophie brand "powerstation" universal Lightning connector USB chargers were revealed for release at Apple stores this week. In the mix are the powerstation, powerstation plus, and powerstation plus XL, each in a variety of new colors. Each of these new devices includes feature 18W fast charge to charge up the newest iPhone devices as quick as possible.

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The European Union has voted to approve a common charger standard, despite Apple's protestations that it could hamper innovation, and now aims to fast-track the rule in the name of cutting down on e-waste. The new regulation comes after years of the EU hoping that manufacturers would voluntarily adopt charger standards, only to find those hopes frustrated.

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Gone are the days when the industry had two competing wireless charging standards (cue XKCD strip) and, fortunately, it didn't require creating a third standard to rule them all. The Wireless Power Consortium, which oversees all things Qi-related, was the last standard standing and now everyone that wants to officially make a device using the wireless charging tech has to be part of that group. Including, it turns out, OnePlus, whose next flagship may just be its first phone to support the feature.

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The least expensive way to purchase a "new" iPhone in 2020 will likely take the form of the device that's leaked today. The images you're about to see of this phone come from people who've attained CAD drawings of the iPhone - that means a few things. They likely know the position of the cameras, the microphones, the display, the buttons, and the overall size of each of these elements. They don't likely know the color or the exact nature of the corners or edges of some key elements.

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Remember the AirPower, one of Apple's embarrassments that will be forgotten in a few years? The failure of a first-party wireless charging mat opened the doors for accessory makers to try and fill in the gaping hole left by the canceled product. And to no one's surprise, such "alternatives" follow the same formula but just give it a different spin. Like Satechi's new Trio Wireless Charging Pad that will let you wirelessly charge one iPhone, one AirPods, and one Apple Watch and nothing more.

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It may have just announced its first diversion into a new market with the Soundform Elite Hi-Fi Smart Speaker + Wireless Charger but Belkin hasn't forgotten about its core product line. In fact, it is flooding the CES 2020 showroom floor with chargers and power banks, figuratively, of course. Riding the wave of recent trends, almost all of Belkin's new 2020 chargers are of the wireless variety and the one that doesn't at least sport a USB-C connection to accommodate most of the latest smartphones, tablets, and even laptops.

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It may be talking a lot about its vision to expand to new frontiers like networking, AR, and IoT but it's hard to deny that, at least for now, OPPO's main breadwinner is its smartphone business. 5G may be at the center of the company's plans but, until it becomes truly ubiquitous, consumers will experience the next-gen network standard primarily through smartphones. That's why at its inaugural INNO DAY 2019 event, OPPO not only reminded media about the things it has already done for the mobile industry, it also showed off the innovations that will be coming to its smartphones starting as early as this month.

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