In times of numerous electrical devices, the cable chaos in many living rooms and offices is gaining the upper hand. In the meantime, it is quite possible to use different Smartphones charge wirelessly. The mobile phone can be easily connected to a charging station via induction and is ready for use again after a short time. Unfortunately, not every cell phone is QI-enabled. That's why many smartphone owners ask themselves what is the best way to identify a QI-enabled cell phone.
How is it possible to charge a cell phone wirelessly?
An inductive charger is used for wireless charging of mobile phones. This gadget has only been on the rise for a few years, but is now considered beneficial when it comes to charging a cell phone battery. Unfortunately, not all smartphones can be charged in this way. After all, wireless charging is only possible with QI-enabled cell phones.
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Induction technology is already known in many areas. In the kitchen there is an induction cooker and in the bathroom there is an electric toothbrush. The energy for various electrical devices can be obtained with the help of electromagnetic waves, which are transmitted wirelessly on contact. This enables cooking pots to be heated, toothbrushes to be charged and smartphones to be supplied with electricity. So that Smartphone however, it must be QI-enabled.
What does QI-capable actually mean?
QI is a Chinese term that means "life energy" stands. A smartphone whose battery has little energy must therefore be charged. In order for this to be possible, it needs various properties in order to regain “life energy” – i.e. QI. Until now, mobile phone owners have used a charger and connected it to the mobile phone. But it's even easier: A smartphone that can be charged wirelessly usually has a QI receiver coil that is installed inside the cell phone. However, mobile phones that do not have this coil can sometimes be retrofitted.
So if you want to charge your cell phone inductively, easily and with less cable, you should check whether this premise is possible. The latest smartphones are now equipped with a certain QI standard. This makes it very easy to charge different cell phones without an unnecessary cable bulge.
Which smartphones are QI-enabled?
How do you know if the phone is QI-enabled and where are all QI-enabled smartphones listed? Various mobile phone lovers who are looking for QI-enabled smartphones ask themselves these and similar questions.
In the meantime, the latest mobile phone models often come directly with QI coils. Almost all modern smartphones support wireless charging - even many cheap cell phones are now QI-capable and thus create a certain convenience. Meanwhile, the most well-known brands of QI-enabled mobile phone models are among them
- Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC),
- Huawei
- Samsung
- Microsoft
- Nokia
- Sony
- LG
- HTC
But there are also mobile phone manufacturers who expressly do not bring any QI-enabled smartphones onto the market. This includes some cell phones
- Blackberry
- OnePlus
- Honor
Most manufacturers also offer cheap cell phones that are QI-enabled. That includes that
- Apple iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+
- Gigaset GS4
and many more. These mobile phone models are available for less than 500 euros without a mobile phone contract and are all induction-compatible.
What is now part of the QI standard?
For many mobile phone manufacturers, QI is now simply part of the production of new smartphones. It was first developed by the Wireless Power Consortium in 2008 and finally came onto the market in 2010. While larger devices were initially able to offer these advantages, the wireless charging standard has also been able to assert itself with mobile phones.
The advantage is that a QI-enabled cell phone can be charged on all QI chargers. It doesn't matter which mobile phone manufacturer and which charging station it is. This makes it all the more convenient for mobile phone owners to charge their own smartphone quickly and safely. Cumbersome connection of charging cables and checking whether the charging socket is compatible is therefore no longer necessary.
Tip: There are already car mounts that are equipped with QI functions. This means that the QI-enabled cell phone can also be conveniently charged wirelessly in the car while driving.
How fast does wireless charging work?
The QI standard has different power levels ranging from five to 15 watts. The performance level of the respective smartphone can be found in the mobile phone description. In the meantime, however, five watts have become the common standard, but there are some models that support 15 watts.
The charging speed hardly differs from charging with a standard charging cable. As a rule, mobile phones can be charged easily and, above all, easily in 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
How can I find out if my phone is QI-enabled?
If you are unsure whether your smartphone is QI-capable, you can easily do the self-test. Simply place the mobile phone on the induction-capable charging station. When the station is connected to the mobile phone, the battery starts charging. The smartphone lights up or signals with symbols that charging is taking place. Most charging stations also have indicator lights to indicate that an energy charge has begun.
If nothing happens, however, the cell phone is either not properly placed on the charging station or is simply not QI-capable.
Can I have a non-QI-enabled cell phone retrofitted?
A mobile phone that is not QI-capable can be converted in many cases. Smartphones that do not have charging contacts for a QI receiver can be equipped with special QI charging pads. These come on the back of the phone and are connected to the battery charger. This means that the mobile phone can also be charged inductively.
QI cell phone cases are also an excellent alternative to QI receivers. In addition, there are sometimes even additional batteries that are equipped with QI coils. So there are a few ways to trick even non-QI enabled phones and enjoy the benefits of inductive charging.
What is reverse wireless charging?
In addition to wireless charging of mobile phone batteries, there is reverse wireless charging. This is also known as the mobile phone manufacturer Samsung Wireless PowerShare designated. Smartphones that are equipped with this feature can also charge other devices inductively via the back thanks to this function. Thus, for example Bluetooth Headset energized quickly and easily. However, the performance is somewhat limited in this context and is around 4,5 watts.
However, this scope of performance is perfectly sufficient to reliably charge smaller devices on the go. Currently offer that
- Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, Plus 5G and Ultra 5G,
- Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, Plus 5G, Ultra 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20FE
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Z Flip 4
- Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro
- Google Pixel 5
- Huawei Mate 50, Mate 50 Pro, Mate 50 RS
- Huawei Mate 40 Pro, P40 Pro, P40 Pro+
- Xiaomi 12, 12Pro
- Xiaomi Mi 11
and some other smartphones offer reverse wireless charging. Not all cell phones are QI-enabled at the moment, but the number is increasing almost every day. At some point, the good old charging cable will probably have had its day and wireless charging will be indispensable.
