XDA Basics: Are wireless chargers waterproof? Can I safely use them when wet?
Wireless chargers are gaining mainstream popularity as more smartphone makers launch devices with support for them. There are hundreds of them on the market right now. Consumers looking to buy a wireless charger often have a lot of questions. In this article, we’ll try to address one such question – are wireless chargers waterproof? Practically all wireless chargers currently on the market don’t have any kind of water resistance, so the answer is a fairly big “NO”.
No, Wireless Chargers are not waterproof or water-resistant
You have to be really careful with water around wireless chargers as you would be around any other electrical device connected to a power outlet. You could end up electrocuting yourself as well as damaging your appliances if you attempt to use a wet wireless charger, and we strongly dissuade you from doing so.
If your wireless charger somehow ends up getting wet, make sure that it’s completely dry before using it again. Treat it the same way as you would your wired charger. If your smartphone is wet, dry that as well before putting it on a wireless charger.
Keep in mind that charging pads use magnetism to transfer electricity to the device. While we haven’t seen any waterproof wireless chargers from a major manufacturer, it’s possible that such devices may arrive in the future. However, for now, it still is a good idea to keep the entire apparatus away from water as you are connected to the wall outlet. Best not to risk it until and unless a manufacturer can provide some form of guarantee on the safety of their accessory.
How do Qi Wireless Chargers work?
Qi wireless chargers are relatively uncomplicated pieces of hardware. They use inductive charging to transfer power from a charger to your phone. The wireless chargers mainly include two key components – a PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) and a coil. Apart from these two things, the wireless chargers also need a power adapter that is used to convert the AC current from your wall outlet to the DC current for the charger.
The PCBA in the wireless charger takes the DC current from the power adapter and uses the coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field. This field creates power in the receiver coil of your phone and the same is fed to the battery. During this process, some of the power is lost in the form of heat, which is one of the reasons why wireless charging is slower than the wired charging. You’ll notice this heat on your phone as it’ll become hot while charging. This is normal and it isn’t too much heat. Also, the wireless chargers come with safeguards that’ll stop the charging process if they detect excessive heat.
The Qi wireless chargers typically offer a minimum charging speed of 5W. You’ll also see chargers in the market that offer 7.5W, 10W, and 15W charging speeds. For charging speeds faster than 15W, manufacturers normally use proprietary technology. Thus, such chargers are only able to offer these higher speeds to very select devices. Before buying any wireless charger, make sure you know what charging speeds your phone can support.
- The Anker PowerWave 15 Pad comes with 5W, 7.5W, and 15W wireless charging modes. If your phone supports faster wireless charging, this Anker charger will be able to provide it. However, it doesn’t come with a power adapter.
- When single and dual chargers aren’t enough, you can get this Belkin 3-in-1 charger. It can charge your Qi-compatible phone, earbuds, and smartwatch at the same time. The charger supports up to 7.5W charging for the phones and 5W for other devices.
- Prefer the stand mode on some days, and the flat mode on the others? The Spigen Wireless Charger can do both for you. It also supports up to 15W fast wireless charging. Moreover, there's a non-slip pad on it to prevent your phone from slipping while charging.
Hopefully, we were able to answer your question about whether wireless chargers are waterproof. If you would like to know more about wired fast charging, make sure you explore our detailed explainer on the topic. We’ve also published a list of the best fast chargers for Samsung Galaxy S21 on the market right now — do check that out as well.
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