Drive, She Said
Feature Friday: Wireless Charging
Before I got my new iPhone 11, I was jealous of people who were able to “cut the cord” for their phones in test cars and use the wireless charging feature.
My phone’s battery was perpetually dead, and if I forgot my charging cable, I may as well just turn my phone off because it was going to be bricked soon anyway.
Now that I’ve upgraded, I’d say a new Apple or Android phone that supports wireless charging is worth its weight in gold — not only for in-car applications but for home charging as well.
But I digress. What is this wireless charging thing and how does it work?
Quite simply (and obviously), wireless charging allows you to charge your phone without plugging the phone itself in. In a vehicle application, there is usually a ledge or a tray you set your phone on, and when you line it up properly, your phone starts to charge.
Most vehicles make this easy and obvious, and in current generation charging setups, you don’t have to do a lot of futzing with your phone to line it up correctly — the charge pad usually cuts a large swath.
In Jill terms, how it works is also simple: There is a thing in your phone that connects to a thing in your car that allows energy to pass between the two items, and voila! You phone charges.
But to give a more thorough answer, I consulted an article from Computer World. While they use a lot of technical language, my takeaway is this: A magnetic field, which is created inside the charging pad through the use of copper coils, creates an electrical current that can charge a device with a receiver as long as the two items are within close proximity.
If you are more technically inclined or generally curious, I recommend you click through to the linked article because it also explains why Apple lagged behind and the different kinds of wireless charging available. The video below is also pretty informative without being super techy.
[embedded content]As I’ve started testing my phone with this feature I have noticed it’s not necessarily ideal for long road trips and it doesn’t work fast. So, it’s nice if you need a boost and you have a half-hour drive, but it won’t bring your phone back to 80% within 20 minutes or whatever it is fast-charge cables promise these days.
Most new phones being released today offer this technology, and similarly, most cars come with wireless charging as an option. So, if you’re interested in cutting the cord, check your phone’s capabilities and add this feature to your “must-have” list when buying a new car.
One thing to know: Because this feature has been around for a few cars, you’ll likely find some used cars that also have wireless charging. Just be sure to test it with your phone before you buy because some of the earlier systems didn’t work as well and were really finicky.
Other items in the Friday Feature series:
- Near Field Communication
- Seat Extender
- Auto Stop/Start Engine
- Park Assist
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Track pads and touch controllers
- Winter Tires
- Rear Camera Mirror
- Lane Keep Assist
- Passive Entry
- Automatic Reverse Braking
- Hyundai’s Remote Smart Parking Assist (aka Smaht Pahk)
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Around-View Backup Cameras
- Mazda’s Infotainment System
- Hyundai’s Blind View Monitor
Filed under:
Feature Friday
-
Advertisement:
-
Advertisement:
-
Welcome to ChicagoNow.
-
Subscribe by Email
Completely spam free, opt out any time.
Like me on Facebook!
Meet The Blogger
Jill Ciminillo
a reluctant car girl who loves to drive fast, write well and write well fast about driving
Latest on YouTube
Recent posts
-
Feature Friday: Wireless Charging »
Jill Ciminillo on Drive, She SaidPosted today at 5:36 pm -
Car Stuff Podcast: Cadillac Super Cruise and reveals of the 2021 Lexus IS, Nissan Rogue »
Jill Ciminillo on Drive, She SaidPosted Monday at 4:55 pm -
Feature Friday: Near-Field Communication Technology »
Jill Ciminillo on Drive, She SaidPosted June 19, 2020 at 3:55 pm -
2021 Lexus IS revealed [PHOTOS] »
Jill Ciminillo on Drive, She SaidPosted June 15, 2020 at 7:38 pm -
Car Stuff Podcast: Mecum Auctions, 2021 Acura TLX, Mini Cooper SE »
Jill Ciminillo on Drive, She SaidPosted June 15, 2020 at 12:00 pm
Latest on ChicagoNow
-
The Imaginary Writers’ Room gains another poet
from Margaret Serious by Margaret H. Laing
posted today at 5:48 pm -
Feature Friday: Wireless Charging
from Drive, She Said by Jill Ciminillo
posted today at 5:36 pm -
Chinese-Americans be damned, Kevin McCarthy’s OK with Trump’s racism
from The Quark In The Road by Aquinas wired
posted today at 1:57 pm -
Is the Karen moniker more sexist than funny?
from Windy City Legal Geek by Windy City Legal Geek
posted today at 12:24 pm -
Chicago 2020 Farmer’s Markets: dates & locations
from Show Me Chicago by Carole Kuhrt Brewer
posted today at 12:19 pm
Posts from related blogs
-
Girls Go Racing
Most recent post: Vicki Wood: Breaking Gender Barriers in Auto Racing
-
Cycling Chicago
Most recent post: Can You Ride a Bicycle During Chicago’s Stay at Home Order?
-
Motor-Minded with John Basile
Most recent post: Social Distancing With the Open Road
More from Lifestyle: Transportation
Read these ChicagoNow blogs
-
Cubs Den
-
Pets in need of homes
Pets available for adoption in the Chicago area -
Show Me Chicago
Show Me Chicago previews, reviews and expresses opinions on what’s happening in Chicago from Blockbuster Theater, to what’s new in dining, arts, and the neighborhoods.
Read these ChicagoNow Bloggers
-
Ray Salazar, NBCT
-
Natalie Matthews
from Aspiring Dance Mom: -
Tron Griffin
from Keeping An Eye Out:
- About ChicagoNow
- •
- FAQs
- •
- Advertise
- •
- Recent posts RSS
- •
- Privacy policy (Updated)
- •
- Comment policy
- •
- Terms of service
- •
- Chicago Tribune Archives
- •
- Chicago Internet Marketing Services
©2020 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team
Leave a comment