Tech Smackdown: Qi Wireless Charging Vs. USB Charging

Wireless charging has really become popular over the last year. There is a lot to love about Qi wireless charging, but USB charging has a bit of a head start when it comes to charging prowess. In the first ever Gorilla Gadget's Tech Smackdown, these two charging types are the first two combatants to hit our ring.

We are going to base this Smackdown on the three most important factors, convenience, charging speeds, and the "cool" factor.

Will Qi Wireless layeth' the smacketh down on wired charging, or will the experienced veteran get the pin?

Charging speed range: 1A-3.4A

Quick Charge 3.0: Yes

Available for all devices: Yes

Can you use device while charging: Yes

Charging speed range: 3W-3000W

Quick Charge 3.0: no

Available for all devices: No

Can you use device while charging? 

No (you can on some charging stands but it’s not easy)

Wired Charging

Pros:

• Easy to find accessories: Micro USB has become pretty universal on a lot of Android devices and it's easy to find affordable cables and chargers pretty much anywhere
• Not only is it easy to find wired accessories, there are also a wide variety of different types including power banks, wall chargers, charging stands, car chargers, and even wireless speakers that can charge your phone
• Ease of use and familiarity: Chances are you have been charging with your USB of Lightning cable now for as long as you've owned a cell phone. There is something to say about being familiar with the technology. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Cons:

1. Having to carry around different cables for different phones
2. Always having to seek out the nearest wall outlet at an airport, at home with your family, or at work
3. Frayed or damage charging ports, or cables

Qi Wireless Charging

Pros:

1. Super easy to use, just plop it on the charger and it starts charging.
2. No tangled-up wires, or searching for the right cable for the right device
3. Cleaner charging: You can be charging your phone without long cables hanging out of your pocket, while on your commute, or on your desk or kitchen counter.
4. No frayed wires, worn out or damage charging ports

Cons:

1. Not widely available, more and more new phones are getting the technology but the majority of devices do not support Qi Wireless Charging.
2. Even the adapters and wireless charging case available to give you this charging capability are sometimes hard to install, or to find.
3. Finding compatible chargers is more difficult to do, especially in public places like libraries, airports, and coffee shops.

Round 1 Results: While both of these charging types have their advantages, and disadvantages they each have aspects that cancel each other out. So, we are going to call this round a tie.

Winner: Draw

Wired Charging

Charging your smartphone in under an hour can be pretty cool depending on who you ask. Not everybody is a technology nerd like we are. In fact, many would argue that simply plugging a cable into your phone is not the most exciting and coolest thing out there.

Most of us have been charging our phones with a cable for decades now. Old news. 

For the "cool factor" we are basing our battle on if you pull a random not tech savvy person off the street and show them your phone charger, would they think it was "cool" or interesting. No matter how much we tried, the majority of people just didn't get too excited about wired charging.

Qi Wireless Charging 

We found that the opposite was true in terms of wireless charging. There's something futuristic and some might say "cool about wireless charging. The people we showed this technology to were immediately interested and wanted to know more about it. One of the most common questions were does my phone already have it, and how can I get wireless charging. 

Nobody seemed to care about how it works, how fast it works, or how easy it is, they just had to have it.

 

Round 3 Results: While we think both charging types are pretty "cool" there was a clear winner in this round.

Winner: Wireless Charging

 

Match Results

Nobody likes a tie, but after looking at both of these charging types, it's really hard to pick a winner. It really comes down to the individual user. If you have to have the coolest new tech, then wireless charging is perfect. If you could care less about cool and just want something functional than USB charging is for you. 

It's not about which one is better, but which one is right for you. The both offer a great phone charging experience. It's kind of like Apple vs. Android they both offer a great experience it just depends on what type of smartphone user you are, and how you embrace technology.