Of all the features being advertised by a lot of flagship devices, wireless charging is probably the most underrated functionality. I’ve been a huge fan of this feature ever since I found out about it when I first got my trust Nokia Lumia 920. After trying it out and seeing how convenient it was for me, I made it a point to only buy smartphones that have it (and thus why I don’t use an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus as a daily driver). To illustrate better, let’s take a look at how I use my LG G3 on a daily basis.
The LG G3 unit that I got already had built-in wireless charging on the back plate (unlike the Samsung Galaxy S5 where you have to buy a new back cover or flip case). All I needed was a Qi compatible wireless charging device. Unfortunately most of the branded wireless charging plates are crazy expensive, usually around Php2,500-Php4,000. I stumbled upon a nice brand though online that makes good quality wireless chargers called Nilkin so I made it a point to buy a couple on my next overseas trip. The good news is that I didn’t actually have to go out of the country anymore to get ’em! Around a month or two ago, several stores in Vmall started selling the Nilkin wireless chargers for around Php1,200-Php1,500. Way cheaper than the branded ones! Picked them up right away. Got two for my house and one for my office.
The result? Perpetually never running out of battery.
Here’s what the battery usage chart of my LG G3 usually looks like:
Note the ups and downs. We all set our phones down on our desks when we’re working right? Having a wireless charging plate not only makes sure you don’t forget where you put your phone, it also makes sure that your device gets topped up regularly with more power. There’s no hassle of unplugging and plugging the micro USB cable anymore since you just put it down when you don’t need it (and it charges) and then pick it up when you need to SMS or call then put it on the charging plate again afterwards.
Wireless charging should be a staple and not an “upgrade” or “add on” like how Samsung does it. It should be built-in on flagship (or maybe even all) devices. The entry of Nilkin will hopefully herald more affordable wireless charging plates for everyone. 😀
