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What Finally Killed AirPower

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Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#221

Post by courtneycouch0 »

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?

I think it just boils down to we all have subtle differences in how we use products so while some features are a revelation to one person, they are pointless to another (always on Siri on the AirPods or wireless charging on the AirPods is pointless for me, I'd have simply preferred longer battery life as an example).

Wireless charging is incrementally nicer based on how I use my phone. Would I be fine without it? Absolutely. But getting an extra 2 inches of legroom on a flight costs more than a wireless charging pad so the bar for incremental benefit is pretty low for me.

The small incremental benefit for me is that I often randomly wake up in the middle of the night with something on my mind, if I don't look it up, I won't get back to sleep. Reaching over and grabbing my phone off the nightstand with a cable means possibly knocking things off the stand if I leave it plugged in (I keep a glass of water there usually), if I unplug it then I have to find the plug and replug it in all while trying to not wake up too much. I'm also always anxious about the cable bending too much at the connector so I'm always guarding that carefully. If I get a high gauge cable so I don't worry about it bending too much, then it's even more prone to knocking things over and possibly just pulling the plug out of the wall. Stands aren't much better, when trying to get the phone back on the stand in the dark without getting up it takes both hands usually to try to line it up correctly. The pad is simple, the phone is on the corner of the nightstand, I grab it, look up whatever, drop it back.

As I mentioned it is definitely a small incremental convenience based on my particular use of the product. For less than the cost of economy plus on a single flight, I don't keep knocking crap off my nightstand. Seems worth it (for me). I've definitely paid more for less tangible benefit.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#222

Post by MisterTea »

azinman2 wrote: post #145
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I never understood, even slightly. Why not just give an iPod / iPhone dock without all the wireless bullshit? I prefer a dock as it holds phone at a handy angle, syncs, and doesn't have the myriad of drawbacks of bluetooth. Smartphone battery life is so shit, on every model, that I always plug my phone in. Even if the cable / socket is only going to be around for minutes. So no saving here. In the days o…

Many people are not like you. I personally don’t plug in at my desk even though a cable is there, as it’s one more thing to do. It’s also then tethered, meaning I have an extra step if I want to walk away and bring my phone with me. It’s also tethered meaning I have a loose cable now dangling in my way, which aside from functional issues is also ugly to look at. I know many who almost never charge their phones, essen…

> Many people are not like you.

Wrong.

> I personally don’t plug in at my desk even though a cable is there, as it’s one more thing to do. [...] It’s also tethered meaning I have a loose cable now dangling in my way, which aside from functional issues is also ugly to look at.

I face palmed after reading that. You certainly are Apple's target audience. Arrogant and lazy. Besides, most of your complaints are rectified using a stylish cloth covered cable with a length of >=3 m and good old fashioned human muscle power to plug them in. It won't hurt, I promise.

Apple (and every other gadget/accessory maker) love taking advantage of human laziness for profit. AirPower offers a marginal amount of convenience for a substantial amount of money. It might not sound like much money to you but that's exactly what Apple is counting on. So you and millions of others drop your hard earned money to save what, 5 seconds of plug in time and "ugly" wires?

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#223

Post by travv0 »

lttlrck wrote: post #216
Raidion wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the heat, it's the increased use. when you're hardwired, you get enough power that your phone just bypasses the battery. If you use a charging mat, you still 'run' from battery. This means increased cycles which reduces battery life.

How is that? If the battery is charging then logically there must be enough residual power to run the phone. If there wasn’t then the battery would not charge at all unless you turned off the phone first, but it obviously does. Also a phone on a charging mat cannot easily be used and the screen will be off most of the time lowering power requirements.

I'm pretty sure the point is that you are likely picking up the phone to use it, so during that time it's not charging.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#224

Post by zaroth »

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?

Cables fall off the nightstand and slip into crevices of death. They get stolen to power a device in the kid’s room. They are hard to find in the dark. They have to be attached and detached. They can snag and knock a glass of wine all over the sheets. They are a choking hazard for your pet gecko.

Ok, I made that last one up.

I didn’t understand the appeal until I put one on my nightstand.

Now if my phone buzzes I can grab it, glance at it, and toss it back on the wireless charging stand.

My kids have T1D and I monitor their blood sugars on my phone. If they are too high or low I get an alert. Sometimes the sensors drop out, and I get an alert. If I wake up during the night I glance at their numbers. In short, there’s a lot of quick burst of phone use most nights, and I carry my phone into their rooms if I need to make a correction.

Not having to plug and unplug my phone every time I get up to check on them is a small miracle.

But for anyone, really, being able to just toss down and pick up the phone is a tiny little dopamine hit versus fidgeting with a cable.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#225

Post by manyxcxi »

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?

I got sick and tired of cables fraying and breaking and finding the cable after it falls off the top of my night stand. It’s also easier to put my phone on the charging pad in the dark than fumbling with finding the cable and getting it plugged in.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#226

Post by swebs »

benj111 wrote: post #166
durability wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is with a sock I need to consciously put it in and take it out. Getting a text message with the phone at an angle so I can read it doesn’t matter to me because I still need to pick it up and carefully line it back down to respond. Yes it takes less than a second but you know what’s even more effortless? A wireless charging mat that I can just set my phone onto. Not sure what’s so hard to understand abo…

If we are splitting hairs over 'a second' and 'effortless' (when effortless still means you've got to make sure it's nicely lined up, if we're talking about actual products here), then surely some kind of in trouser charger is even better. Why should I spend seconds rifling through my pocket, to find my phone to charge it? With a dock you can see if the message is even worth responding to. I don't need to respond to…

You know they make wireless chargers in angled form factors, right? Here's one I used to use when I had a Qi compatible Samsung. Also you don't have to do any aligning. If the phone is not falling out of the charger, then it's in the sweet spot.

https://www.tylt.com/vu-wireless-charger

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#227

Post by wickedsmile »

saagarjha wrote: post #51
wickedsmile wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Charging phone when you are off to bed is really very bad. Lithium charging protection circuit could fail anytime due to one of the components in the circuit malfunctioning and your lithium battery inside the phone can catch fire. Many houses have been burned down to ashes from lithium fire. Just YouTube for 'lithium fire' and you'll see how dangerous it can be. I usually charge the phone in an empty place where lith…

That’s why Apple invests in quality control to prevent this from occurring.

No amount of quality control can work against the long tail events, it's simply impossible.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#228

Post by wickedsmile »

Phlarp wrote: post #126
wickedsmile wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Charging phone when you are off to bed is really very bad. Lithium charging protection circuit could fail anytime due to one of the components in the circuit malfunctioning and your lithium battery inside the phone can catch fire. Many houses have been burned down to ashes from lithium fire. Just YouTube for 'lithium fire' and you'll see how dangerous it can be. I usually charge the phone in an empty place where lith…

residential lithium fires are unlikely to be coming from phones. (unless people still have those exploding Notes still kicking around) Far more likely to be lithium batteries being used or abused in a hobbyist capacity. E-cigs and RC are both ripe for it when users have lower quality cells to begin with, routinely discharge them above the rated current and then charge with sometimes questionable chargers. Worse yet w…

What protection mechanism do we've of one of the SMD resistor or IC in the protection circuit fails?

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#229

Post by lagadu »

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's very convenient in the car. Get in, drop the phone in the charging area and you're done, phone is now charging. Hell you can even use some apps through the infotainment system through carplay; it's great.

Re: What Finally Killed AirPower

#230

Post by ekovarski »

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 are more conveniences than just at home, e.g. in the car, you just place it in the place holder and it charges, no cables to fumble with. No multitude of connectors and there is also a portion of society that has trouble with keeping their hand steady to plug in small connectors - its accessibility for folks with disabilities.

Wireless charging is the future.

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