The wireless charging capability of the Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone is a great feature that makes it easier for users to connect their devices to charge. Wireless charging eliminates cords, but can also be used when the charging port fails (in most cases).
Once you have chosen a wireless charger for your Samsung device, all you have to do is plug in and install your smartphone on it. When the Samsung Galaxy S9 is connected correctly, you will hear a notification with a sound notification and a short vibration of the device, and a circle with lightning bolts will appear on the lock screen, as when charging a smartphone normally.
To make sure your phone is charging, look for the lightning bolt icon in the battery bar at the top of the screen.
Benefits of Samsung Wireless Charging
As cords age, they wear out and must be replaced. Samsung replacement cords can be expensive over time. Wireless chargers are one small device with a cord that plugs into a wall outlet for power.
Wireless charging is an easier way to charge your Galaxy phone. Once you place your phone on the charger, it starts charging immediately, no more pulling the cord in the dark.
Another benefit of using a wireless charger is that it extends the life of your phone's charging port. Repeated power cycling will damage the charging port over time. Using wired chargers also means that the charging ports are affected by lint and dirt, causing them to charge slowly and eventually stop.
Does Samsung A50 and A70 support wireless charging?
Unfortunately, the Samsung A50 and Samsung A70 do not have built-in wireless charging. But this can be partially corrected. In order to use wireless charging on the A50 or A70, you can buy a special receiver. It looks like an ultra-thin, invisible plate that attaches to the back of the phone and can easily be hidden under a case.
And by the way, the A70 comes with a so-called Quick Charge fast charging unit and a Type-C cable.
Now you know which Samsung phones support wireless charging and you can choose a device that suits your needs and capabilities. However, all of the phones listed are flagships and their price tags vary slightly.
In the next section you can read material about which iPhones can be charged over the air, how well Qi works and much more.
Results
There are plenty of offers on the market, so there is plenty to choose from.
If you are ready to spend 5 - 7 thousand, then for this money you can get excellent wireless charging for either two gadgets or one. Of course, you shouldn’t overpay for your first device if you only have one smartphone and don’t have a smartwatch that supports wireless charging. If you just want to get rid of wires on your desk, then cheaper options are ideal. Curious, which wireless charging adapter did you choose?
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Which wireless charger is right for your smartphone?
All Samsung smartphones, including the Galaxy S10, Note 9 and Note 8, are capable of Qi technology.
It is the most common, and you probably won’t go wrong with your purchase even if you don’t read the specifications. However, there are other nuances that you should be aware of. As mentioned above, charging speed is an important factor, and it directly depends on the power of the power adapter, so you need to pay attention to this. In short, if wireless charging has a power of 10-15 watts, then it can charge almost as quickly as wired charging, and the more powerful, the faster.
Product pricing is based on capacity. Therefore, the more powerful the adapter, the more expensive it is, so keep that in mind.
Samsung EP-PG950
Samsung offers Galaxy smartphone owners a number of its own wireless charging solutions for smartphones and wearable gadgets. Samsung EP-PG950 is one of the best, and now we will tell you why.
Firstly, the EP-PG950 has a thoughtful design. Its design allows you to place your smartphone vertically or horizontally. The materials are of high quality, and this is visible to the naked eye. The panel where the phone lies while charging is stylized to resemble leather, which gives a pleasant tactile sensation.
Secondly, functionality provides convenience and security. The fact is that the main advantage of the Samsung EP-PG950 over cheap competitors is the automatic shutdown of the power supply if the battery is fully charged.
Unfortunately, the significant drawback is the price. The power adapter will cost 5 thousand rubles, although you can purchase it from unofficial retailers much cheaper. This model supports fast charging.
Xiaomi Mi Wireless Charging Pad
Xiaomi Mi Wireless Charging Pad looks in the best traditions of the Chinese brand. The charger will fit perfectly into any interior and will attract the views of your guests. It is very pleasant to the touch, although you will rarely touch it. The advantage is that the phone will rest confidently on its surface and will definitely not slip or be scratched.
There is a convenient indicator on the case that notifies you whether the battery of the mobile device is charging or not. The manufacturer claims overheating protection and fast charging, although tests show that the rate of replenishment of battery energy is far from record-breaking.
Such a compact power adapter will cost approximately 1,200 rubles, depending on the store where you buy it.
Wireless charging of smartphones using the example of Qi standard solutions
Wireless charging technologies for electronic devices have been developed by manufacturers for a very long time. Perhaps the most familiar popular option for their actual use can be considered some models of electric toothbrushes. In this case, the advantage of this solution, in addition to the convenience of charging, is the absence of external electrical contacts, which are not very practical in a bathroom. It is also worth paying attention to the regular operation scenario of this device and the absence of the need to charge the brush in other places.
However, the smartphone market has not yet seen widespread use of similar solutions, which look very convenient. In our opinion, there are several reasons for this. The first two are quite typical for most new technologies: an increase in cost and a small number of available “response” parts - the wireless chargers themselves. But the more important reason is the significant change in the mobile device charging scenario. When using a cable, you lose only one thing - the ability to move your smartphone over a long distance. Moreover, in most cases this is not very significant (in addition, you can simply use a long cable). At the same time, you can continue to use telephone conversations, the Internet, mail, multimedia and all other applications. You can't do this with wireless charging. It necessarily requires the smartphone to be on a special stand while charging. Although, of course, you can imagine an option with a speakerphone or headset.
It turns out that in fact, wireless chargers may only be interesting in a limited number of scenarios - for example, in a docking station for charging at night or when navigating in a car. For frequent everyday or emergency use today, they are not very convenient. However, the option of chargers in cafes that are already being tested may also prove useful. Over the past few years, smartphones have received bright high-resolution screens with large diagonals and powerful multi-core processors, but the active operating time on a single battery charge has remained virtually unchanged. If they were able to guarantee that they would last more than a day, the situation would be different - the user would only need to use a wireless charger at home, placing the smartphone on it overnight. It should also be noted that for popular devices such as tablets, the use of wireless charging is less likely. In particular, they require a higher power supply than smartphones, and in addition, the stand will be too large. (By the way, it should be noted that during testing we found that in some combinations, a certain fixed position of the smartphone on the stand is required for operation.) The use of wireless charging with headsets or other accessories is also unlikely; the reason for the lack of such solutions will be the inability to use sufficiently large receivers coils in these devices.
In general, the following advantages of a wireless solution can be noted:
- no mechanical/direct contact;
- possibility of use in hostile environments;
- ease of use (in some cases).
However, there are also disadvantages:
- less efficiency;
- long-term charging;
- increase in the cost, weight and size of a smartphone;
- inability to fully use the smartphone while charging.
But we must admit that recently there have been certain changes in this area. Not every manufacturer, even the largest, has the strength to create a truly universal solution. We can consider that standardization began in 2008 with the creation of the Wireless Power Consortium. The option they developed, called Qi, is today the only solution recognized by a large number of market players. In total, according to the consortium, at the time of writing, almost 200 companies were represented in it, and there were more than 350 products on the market that support this standard. Qi can be found in products from HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Philips, Samsung and other manufacturers.
Another organization in this area is The Alliance For Wireless Power, formed in 2012. Its member Qualcomm is currently offering its implementation of a technology called WiPower.
It is also worth mentioning the Power Matters Alliance, created in 2012, which also aims to develop and promote an industrial standard for wireless charging. Following this, the IEEE Wireless Power and Charging Systems Working Group was organized in October of this year.
Currently, Duracell Powermat products can be found on the market, but they are not widespread and are not used by smartphone manufacturers, so later in this material we will consider Qi solutions.
Technically speaking, a wireless charger uses an electromagnetic field to transfer energy from one device to another. If we talk about the current Qi implementation, here in the low power section the following characteristics are set: distance of about 5 mm, maximum power 5 W. Let us recall that a power of five watts corresponds to the most common wired chargers with a USB interface and a current of 1 A. In addition to the coils themselves, the process involves special controllers that monitor the supply and reception of energy, and the controller is a unit installed in the mobile device.
Below we will look at three solutions of this standard from different manufacturers in terms of ease of use, charging speed and compatibility.
Nokia
Nokia offers two accessories to enable wireless charging of its devices: Nokia Wireless Charging Plate (DT-900) and Nokia Wireless Charging Pillow by Fatboy (DT-901). They differ only in design: the first is a strict device made of plastic, and the second is a soft and flexible “pillow”. Both models come in several vibrant colors to match the Nokia Lumia lineup. The remaining characteristics are the same: support for the Qi standard, an external power supply 12 V 0.74 A with a cable 1.8 m long.
In testing we used the DT-900. The stand body is made of plastic, in our case, bright red. Its dimensions are relatively small - about 120x60x11 mm.
The upper matte surface has the manufacturer's logo in the center, around which there is a low rubber edge. It allows you to keep your smartphone on the charger. Note that the large dimensions of the panel roughly correspond to a smartphone with a 4.5″ screen diagonal. So modern large devices will cover it completely.
The edge and bottom surface are made glossy. On one of the short rounded ends there is a power supply input, and on the opposite side there is a white charging indicator. At the bottom of the panel there is a rubber insert that prevents slipping.
The included cable is red, but the power supply itself is white. It is worth paying attention to the parameters of this unit - it produces 12 V 0.75 A, which is significantly more than standard wired chargers produce. In particular, the standard AC-16 is designed for 5 V 1 A. It can be seen that the power losses are significant.
The list of compatible devices includes models from Lumia 720 and higher. However, only the Lumia 920 has a built-in receiver; for the rest, you will need to purchase an additional back cover, which communicates with the device through contacts located on the back of the smartphone. In particular, when working with the Lumia 1020, the cover increases the weight by 30 g and the thickness by about 2 mm. Perhaps this solution is more interesting than the built-in module in the Lumia 920. At least until such technologies are used everywhere.
The device turned out to be quite convenient to use. Its small size allows you to easily place it on a table, bedside table or shelf. The built-in indicator lights up during charging, which begins literally a couple of seconds after placing the smartphone on the stand. Please note that if you use large smartphones, this indicator may not be very visible. It is also worth paying attention to the non-standard power supply and connector. The other models reviewed in this article can be “transformed” into regular chargers and used with most smartphones by simply unplugging the Micro-USB cable from the cradle.
We conducted the first charging test together with the Nokia Lumia 920. The test showed that the wireless charger is capable of working even with a completely discharged device, which, undoubtedly, should be considered a plus of the solution. As for the time to fully restore the charge, with the DT-900 it turned out to be almost the same as with a standard wired power supply - about two and a half hours. So the charging speed in this case can be considered high, but the main thing is that it will be convenient for the user to predict the required time, since it does not depend on the option used.
Compatibility testing with the Samsung Galaxy S4, equipped with a proprietary wireless charging cover, was successful. The smartphone was able to fully restore its charge in about 3 hours and 10 minutes. It is also possible to start working with a completely discharged battery.
Note that Nokia has an unusual model of an external battery with wireless charging in its arsenal - Nokia Portable Wireless Charging Plate (DC-50). The cost of the Nokia DT-900 at the time of writing was about 2,600 rubles. Branded covers with receiving modules were offered for 1000-2000 rubles, depending on the model.
Samsung
Samsung chose a slightly different approach to packaging. Its S Charger Kit accessory includes a charging stand and a new smartphone cover with built-in charging circuits.
When used with the Samsung Galaxy S4, it increases the weight of the device by 20 g and the thickness by about 2 mm. It is interesting that the currents are indicated on the components: 5 V 2 A is required at the input (this is what the standard unit from this smartphone produces), but at the output you can only get 5 V 0.65 A.
The stand body is made of plastic. Its dimensions are about 161x91x12 mm. The top panel uses a gray semi-gloss material. Its concave shape helps to hold the smartphone in the desired position. The manufacturer's logo is visible in the center. However, if we talk specifically about the Galaxy S4, then it is noticeably smaller than the stand - the dotted line exactly corresponds to the size of the smartphone.
The main body is glossy white. In the center of one of the short ends there is a Micro-USB socket. To the side of it, on the upper edge, there is a green LED, which lights up when the smartphone is placed on the stand and charging begins. The location for the indicator is not chosen very well - it would be more convenient to see it on the opposite side. However, due to the large size of the stand this is not very significant. Most of the bottom is made of rubber, which allows the stand to stay firmly on the table.
The time to fully charge the Samsung Galaxy S4 is about three and a half hours. Testing the operation using a 1 A power supply showed that, in fact, the requirement for a two-amp model is not justified; a less powerful unit will be quite sufficient. This replacement does not affect the duration of wireless charging. Note that this configuration is also capable of restoring a completely discharged smartphone.
Let us remind you that when using the supplied wired charger, the charge recovery time is about two and a half hours. At the same time, up to 90% the charging speed is quite high, but at the last ten percent it decreases.
In domestic stores, this kit is offered for about 3,000 rubles.
PowerQi
The presence of a standard allows different companies, not just smartphone manufacturers, to produce compatible devices. In particular, we managed to find an almost “nameless” version of the PowerQI T-100 wireless charger for testing.
The package includes a stand, a power supply (5 V 1.5 A) with a Micro-USB cable and a special receiver unit. The last element is usually individual for each smartphone model; in our case it was the antenna and control unit for the Samsung Galaxy S4. The approximate cost on foreign trading platforms is $35 for a charger with a power supply and $10 for a receiver unit.
The stand is made of white glossy plastic and has dimensions of 150x80x10 mm. The flat top has slightly beveled edges and lacks any rubberized elements, so it doesn't hold the phone in place very well. The panel is painted in gray paint with the name of the company and model, as well as the logo of the wireless charging standard. The stand rests on four rubber feet.
The LED lights up green when there is external power, and when the smartphone is installed for charging, it changes color to blue. We also note that a sound signal sounds at this moment, which allows you to be sure that the device is recognized and charging begins.
The receiver unit consists of a flat antenna and a small board with a controller manufactured by Texas Instruments. It is supposed to be installed under the standard cover of the smartphone with connection to the contact pads present on the case.
Note that the output current indicated on the receiver is 600 mA. For smartphones that do not have this capability, there are options in the form of cases with connection via a standard Micro-USB. Interestingly, this antenna seems to be slightly smaller in size than the standard Samsung accessory; this may require more precise positioning of the smartphone on the transmitter. In our testing, this situation arose with the Nokia charger due to its compact size.
Charging time for a smartphone with a proprietary cover on a PowerQi stand is approximately 3 hours 30 minutes, so from the point of view of transmitters, these models are the same. Other combinations of receiver and transmitter give similar results, including the ability to restore the charge of a smartphone with a completely discharged battery.
Conclusion
Many companies today are showing interest in wireless charging technologies for smartphone batteries. However, no revolutions should be expected here. There are many players in the market, it is difficult for them to come to an agreement with each other, and in addition, the familiar “chicken and the egg” problem arises. So today, it’s probably not worth considering the presence of a built-in or optional wireless charging module as mandatory for top-end devices.
In this article we looked at several solutions developed according to the Qi standard. They showed good compatibility and were generally quite functional. The only cause of some concern is the relatively low possible power in this Qi modification, which does not allow for rapid charge recovery of modern devices with high-capacity batteries. However, if we consider these solutions as a night charger, they will be quite sufficient for most smartphones. As for active work scenarios, for example, navigation in a car, it is quite possible that the wireless docking station will not be able to restore battery charge while simultaneously running resource-intensive applications, but will only act as an additional power source, reducing the rate of discharge of the standard battery .
In any case, Qi technology can be considered already quite mature and suitable for use not only by enthusiasts, but also by ordinary users who find this scenario useful for themselves. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to use original accessories - solutions from lesser-known companies offered on Internet sites at a relatively low cost may also be suitable.
Activating the fast charging function on Samsung Galaxy smartphones
- Connect the USB Type-C cable to the power adapter and your Samsung mobile device.
- Plug the adapter into an electrical outlet.
- During fast charging, the icon will appear on the smartphone screen. To speed up the charging process, lock your smartphone screen.
- If the fast charging feature is disabled, go to Settings > Device Maintenance > Battery >> Settings and enable the fast charging option. Switching the function while the smartphone is charging is prohibited. If your smartphone or adapter gets too hot, the charging speed may drop, which will prevent damage to your devices.
