What Range Can I Expect From a Long Distance Wireless Charger?

The emergence of wireless charging technologies has raised a lot of questions and concerns for many folks who don’t yet know what to make of them. 

The opinions on the matter tend to vary from genuine amazement about how wireless charging even works, to worries that it might somehow damage the device over time.

There is also the issue of how potent these chargers really are. For instance, many have wondered about the range you can expect from a long distance wireless charger and how it works across a variety of different devices. On the surface, these are genuine concerns and one would be perfectly justified to have them.

For instance, the concern that some devices might charge slower than others is perfectly valid. You will notice upon closer inspection that some devices barely receive any charge despite their advertised ‘wireless charging’ capabilities. 

In truth, it appears as though few manufacturers have truly figured out how to make the most of Qi technologies.

A matter of range and motion

When the proof of concept was first introduced by MIT researchers many years ago, they operated the prototype charger at a range of about 30 cm. Although this range hasn’t really changed that much over time, the consistency of the charge being delivered has most certainly improved to an impressive standard.

To put it bluntly, a decent long distance wireless charger can deliver a steady 10W charge for up to 30 cm or slightly more. The exact wattage may be affected by the surfaces the charge has to penetrate, the casing of the device, its Qi-enabled potency, and of course, whether or not the device is moved during the charging process.

Another thing to point out is that different devices charge at seemingly different speeds. While a Samsung device may charge at a 9-Watt pace on a consistent basis, your average Qi-ready iPhone will only charge at around 7.5 Watts per hour because of structural limitations built into the devices by Apple themselves.

The reason Apple does this is because they expect people to use their proprietary wireless charger that ranges between 5 to 10 Watts depending on the distance and the state of the battery. 

Other Qi-ready devices, however, can charge at a fluent 10 Watts per hour, while some newer tablets can go up to 12 Watts per hour or more.

Unreasonable concerns

Taking a look at online discussions on the matter, you might notice a fair bit of disinformation surrounding Qi-technologies and their application. 

There are some who (wrongfully) believe that their phone might take damage if they leave their device on the charging pad for too long. While it may seem reasonable at first sight, this simply isn’t the case.

Manufacturers have long understood how to deal with overcharging in regards to electromagnetic waves damaging the battery. 

You should also know that a long distance wireless charger will not damage your smartphone if it’s too close to the charging pad, nor will it suffer any damage long-term from prolonged use.

Most Qi-enabled devices have overcharge protection systems built into them to automatically shut off any charging attempt once the battery has reached its upper limit.

Most of the time, the chargers themselves incorporate similar technologies and they even alternate their charge delivery depending on which devices they charge.