Every phone needs power — that's just how they work. But there is more than one way to top up a battery, and many prefer the convenience of wireless charging. There's no cable to pick up and connect, you just drop your phone on the charger and power is transmitted. There are advantages and disadvantages to wireless charging, but we're curious to know if you use it.
The perks of wireless charging are obvious: No wires. Put your phone on top of the (usually Qi-based) charger, and power is wirelessly transmitted from coil to coil. It's simple and easy — in the right position, when it works correctly. However, there are tradeoffs. For one, wireless charging usually generates more heat than similar power levels would with wired charging, and that can diminish battery capacity over long-term ownership. Wireless charging also can't hit the sort of crazy-high rates we've seen with recent fast-charging protocols, either. Sometimes, certain charger and phone combinations can bug out or behave unexpectedly as well, even in this far-off futuristic date of 2020.
I used to eschew wireless charging simply because wired solutions were faster, but now that I'm spending less time out and about amid the ongoing pandemic, I'm beginning to appreciate the convenience. Plus, the wireless charger on my desk is quite pretty, and I'd hate for it to go to waste.
We've done this poll a few times, but it's been five years since the last time we asked, and I'm curious to see how the numbers may have changed. After all, wireless charging has improved quite a bit since then, and more gadgets like headphones and wearables use it now, potentially making it more likely you'll use it with a phone, too. For ease of comparison, we'll keep the options as they were before.