and 8 Plus users can now charge their phones wirelessly. A charging mat supplies power to the newest iPhone models and provides a wireless charging mechanism. However, critics say that wireless charging is slow on these iPhone units. And these mats, which are manufactured by Belkin and Mophie and which were available for some Samsung and LG phones, make the user carry another dongle with them.
A more useful option is to use a battery case. These have been in the market for a while now. Firms like Mophie, Apple, and Ankar, have dominated the ‘smart battery case’ market. For old iPhones, you can buy them for $25-$30 and for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, these are sold around $80 to $100.
Using a smart battery case is a proven technology. Once the battery case is charged, you can easily slip it onto your iPhone and charge it. The battery case can be charged with or without your iPhone. While a smart battery case will give you more time to use your iPhone, there are some things you should keep in mind. A case can make your phone bulky, and you will have to charge your phone and the case every day. Some people say that they experience difficulty listening to music if the battery case is in use. After Apple removed the headphone jack from iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, many people used the Lightning Port on the phone to plug into music. But the battery case uses the Lightning Port for charging so you will have to use Bluetooth headphones for your music needs.
Apple is set to launch its wireless charging pad, called AirPower next year. Wireless charging uses the Qi wireless standard to charge your mobile device. Samsung has been using this technology for several years now. Mophie, the smartphone accessories manufacturer, sells its Juice Pack Air for around a hundred dollars. It serves as a smart battery case, offering 33 hours of power for the iPhone 7 Plus and can also be put to use as a charging pad.
The charging mats or pads are available at several airports and universities, and users don’t have to look for specific ports. These are manufactured by Powermat and seem to work well with iPhones. All you need to do is to attach a dongle to your iPhone which connects it to the mat. The average time it takes to power your phone fully is about 2 hours.
Wireless charging has a long way to go!
