Wireless Charging Is Wildly Inefficient

Back in 2017, Apple added support for Qi wireless charging to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Then with the iPhone 12 lineup, they introduced their own MagSafe wireless charging technology. There’s no denying the convenience of wireless charging, keep in mind that it’s extremely inefficient compared to wired charging. In most cases, that may not matter much because you may be charging overnight from a wall-connected charger. Charging speed suffers with wireless charging. If you need a quick charge, plug your iPhone in. Also, across billions of phones, it’s more problematic. One estimate suggests that wireless charging requires nearly 50% more power than cable. And if you’re charging from a wireless battery pack, wasting that juice means less of a top-up before exhausting the battery pack. In short, to charge your iPhone quickly and efficiently, whether from a wall-connected charger or a battery pack, stick with the traditional Lightning cable.