What Finally Killed AirPower • Hacker News Board

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#171

Post by brennebeck » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:20 AM UTC

rincebrain wrote: post #31

sp332 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can slap my phone down on the charger next to my bed in the dark. I can grab my phone off the charger on my desk at work with one hand. Before wireless charging, it wasn't much hassle, and I only rarely had trouble with my phone battery dying. Now it's almost no hassle, and I never have trouble with my battery dying. It's just a nice quality-of-life boost.

Is that not something many people can do one-handed? The last time I had any trouble doing that one-handed was in the era of proprietary inch-wide charge connectors.

I think it’s something most people _can_ do, but _don’t_ do simply because unplugging the cord from the bottom of your phone with one hand is rather awkward, especially with larger models.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#172

Post by jjclint » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:27 AM UTC

brian-armstrong wrote: post #11

So my phone is charged by a cable. It plugs into the wall on one side and then plugs into my phone on the other. This system works great - I plug my phone in when I go to bed and unplug it when I wake up. The cable is long enough to plug into my phone even if I want to use it in bed. It's easy, cheap and failproof. What is the draw of wireless charging? What is it that I'm missing? Did anyone ask for this?

That's what i said when they came up with the wireless remote control!!! Bunch of useless junk if you ask me!! ~ A. Einstein

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#173

Post by jackpeterfletch » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:31 AM UTC

One major benefit that I've come to appreciate is that it can't break.

My S8 usb-c stopped working about a year ago. Wouldn't have considered a wireless charger before then.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#174

Post by antibland » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:31 AM UTC

brian-armstrong wrote: post #11

So my phone is charged by a cable. It plugs into the wall on one side and then plugs into my phone on the other. This system works great - I plug my phone in when I go to bed and unplug it when I wake up. The cable is long enough to plug into my phone even if I want to use it in bed. It's easy, cheap and failproof. What is the draw of wireless charging? What is it that I'm missing? Did anyone ask for this?

My mom suffered a stroke and has 70% use of only one side of her body. She's been known to take risky measures reaching for a fallen charging cable. For her, wireless charging would make her life safer (and me, less worried about her). But yeah, personally, I find this tech rather gimmicky.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#175

Post by tsjq » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:32 AM UTC

joeblau wrote: post #72

brian-armstrong wrote: post #11

So my phone is charged by a cable. It plugs into the wall on one side and then plugs into my phone on the other. This system works great - I plug my phone in when I go to bed and unplug it when I wake up. The cable is long enough to plug into my phone even if I want to use it in bed. It's easy, cheap and failproof. What is the draw of wireless charging? What is it that I'm missing? Did anyone ask for this?

There is a book called Personality Plus[1] that you should definitely read because you're most likely a very detailed oriented person. I have friends that are not as diligent as you are with plugging their phones in and their battery is almost dead all of the time. Them having a Qi charging mat is the one saving grace that no finally keeps their phones above the 5% - 20% low power mode battery area that they usually…

thanks for the book suggestion. sounds interesting.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#176

Post by ez7r6i » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:42 AM UTC

antibland wrote: post #174

brian-armstrong wrote: post #11

So my phone is charged by a cable. It plugs into the wall on one side and then plugs into my phone on the other. This system works great - I plug my phone in when I go to bed and unplug it when I wake up. The cable is long enough to plug into my phone even if I want to use it in bed. It's easy, cheap and failproof. What is the draw of wireless charging? What is it that I'm missing? Did anyone ask for this?

My mom suffered a stroke and has 70% use of only one side of her body. She's been known to take risky measures reaching for a fallen charging cable. For her, wireless charging would make her life safer (and me, less worried about her). But yeah, personally, I find this tech rather gimmicky.

You could tape the cable to a desk, a few centimetres away from the end of the cable, so it can't fall.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#177

Post by PunksATawnyFill » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:47 AM UTC

Wireless charging is a dumb gimmick anyway. You still have to put the device on a mat, which is connected to power by, yep, A WIRE.

So you might as well plop the device in a dock, and get more-efficient charging and no space wasted inside the device for inductors.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#178

Post by PunksATawnyFill » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:48 AM UTC

_bxg1 wrote: post #53

brian-armstrong wrote: post #11

So my phone is charged by a cable. It plugs into the wall on one side and then plugs into my phone on the other. This system works great - I plug my phone in when I go to bed and unplug it when I wake up. The cable is long enough to plug into my phone even if I want to use it in bed. It's easy, cheap and failproof. What is the draw of wireless charging? What is it that I'm missing? Did anyone ask for this?

It takes something easy and makes it effortless . Like AirPods, this has a surprising number of implications that you really don't think about until you try it. If I'm just setting my phone down on my desk and it's at 50%, and my cable is right there, I may not bother to plug it in. Especially if I might get up again in 5 or 10 minutes. But if I can just set it down in a particular place and regain a couple percentag…

"if I can just set it down in a particular place and regain a couple percentage points"

So why not just plop it into a dock?

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#179

Post by arvinsim » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:48 AM UTC

lugg wrote: post #152

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of which is covered by having a dock as the act of picking it up breaks connection. With the added advantage they were cheaper than wireless, and unlike AirPower actually available.

Your buying Apple. Price as an argument is long gone. This whole thread is really asinine. Wireless charging is a seamless, elegant solution to a problem. It is not the only solution. It is not a perfect solution. It is not the cheapest solution. It is not the most cost effective solution. It is likely not the best solution for your battery life. Docks and wires are not an elegant solution. That's all the argument is…

You need to take your own advice.

Cables were never old, painful nor requires thought. I see the cable, I plug.

Your side is just that, an opinion.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#180

Post by acct1771 » Sat, Mar 30, 2019, 9:50 AM UTC

pablasso wrote: post #132

accatyyc wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Constantly charging causes fewer power cycles and extends your battery life.

Who is right here?

First one would be right if cell phones used old style nickel-cad batteries. But, they don't, they're Lithium-ion.