Hands-on: Nexus 4 wireless charging [VIDEO]
One of the more notable features that happened to find its way inside the Google Nexus 4 was its wireless charging capabilities. Compatible with the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) Qi standard, this allows for the Nexus 4 to charge wirelessly with compatible docks right out of the box. No need for special battery covers, or ugly cases — it’s all built right in.
When Google first announced the Nexus 4, they talked briefly about a wireless charging dock for the device that they would, at some point, sell directly from the Google Play Store. We haven’t heard anything since, but if you’re looking to get in on some wireless charging of your very own, there’s no need to wait around for Google to appease you. There are plenty of Qi enabled wireless charging stations available right now from manufacturers like LG and Energizer.
My friend John Staton let me play around with his fresh out of the box LG WCP-700 wireless charging pad and you can find a quick hands-on video below.
While LG’s charging pad seemed to work fine in the short 3 minutes of the video, I did find that it was a bit finicky and would disconnect/reconnect after a few minutes time. This resulted in a loud beeping noise coming from the pad letting you know it was connected, but for light sleepers out there, it may prove troublesome.
Energizer also has their wireless charging pads (you can find ’em at retail stores like Target or Walmart), and reviews seem to be mixed when it comes to Nexus 4 users. The glass backing on the Nexus 4 causes the device to slip around and because Energizer’s pads are on a slight incline, they could cause the phone to completely slide off the pad altogether. You can see where a bumper case would come in handy for added grip (or a can of Plasti-Dip). Energizer’s pad did fare better in the rest of the review, keeping the device charging constantly, and requiring little-to-no fuss in regards to placement.
While the convenience of wireless charging is still under some review (holding your device while it’s charging is pretty much out of the question), there is a definite effort to bring wireless charging into the mainstream. The only problem, like most things, is there’s 2 main camps fighting to become that standard: Duracell/Powermat’s Power Matters Alliance, backed by AT&T, Starbucks, at Google — and the Wireless Power Consortium. Who will come out on top is anyone’s guess.
[LG wireless charging station (from the video) | Energizer wireless charging station]