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Wireless charging is all about convenience, as it allows you to plop your phone on a charging pad to top up its battery. However, I will always prefer a fast wired charger over a wireless charger—its advantages outweigh the convenience wireless charging provides.
1Wired Chargers Provide Faster Charging Speeds
The biggest benefit of using a wired fast charger over a wireless one is the charging speed. With a power brick, I can charge my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Xiaomi 14 Ultra at 45-90W speeds. This is especially useful while traveling, as just a few minutes on the charger can provide several extra hours of additional runtime.
That’s not the case with wireless charging. Samsung phones only support 15W wireless charging, and topping up the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 5,000mAh cell from a nearly empty state at such speeds will take over 2 hours.
Some Android phones, like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and OnePlus 12, support faster wireless charging. But still, their wired charging speeds are significantly faster.
2Wired Fast Chargers Are More Versatile
Another advantage of fast chargers is their versatility. You can use them to charge more than just your phone as long as they support charging over USB-C. On holidays or road trips, I only carry a USB-C charger for topping up my phone, laptop, Nintendo Switch, power bank, earbuds, and DSLR camera.
Wireless charging is available on phones and earbuds, but that’s about it. You can’t use a wireless charger to provide juice to your MacBook, Android tablet, or other devices. More importantly, you need a USB-C wired charger to use a wireless charger itself. This is justhow the current wireless charging technology works, and there’s not much you can do about it.
3Wired Chargers Can Fast Charge Multiple Devices Simultaneously
With a fast charger, I can top up multiple devices simultaneously, saving space and avoiding the hassle of managing multiple chargers. When traveling, I carry a USB-C power brick with three or four ports to charge my MacBook, phone, iPad, and camera simultaneously and at almost full speed.
Thebest wireless charging stationscan top up two or three devices at once. However, their charging speed is not nearly as fast as wired charging. Plus, they cannot charge a laptop or iPad, limiting their usefulness.
4Fast Wireless Chargers Are Expensive for What They Offer
Fast wireless chargers are notably more expensive than wired power bricks. For example, Google’s Pixel 9 series supports up to 23W wireless charging speeds with the 2nd gen Pixel Stand, which carries an MSRP of $79. In comparison, you can get a 45W USB-C brick for wired fast charging for $30 or lower—over 2.5x cheaper than the fast wireless charger.
Regular Qi wireless chargers are available for a lot less, but the charging speed drops to 15W (or less). This means your phone will spend a lot more time on the charger. Even then, you can find fast wired chargers at a similar or lower price.
5Carry Wireless Chargers Everywhere Is a Challenge
Wired fast chargers come in different shapes, sizes, and power outputs. Wireless chargers are also available in various sizes and form factors. However, carrying a wired charger is far easier while traveling. Given the versatility of wired chargers, they are a no-brainer since you can charge more devices than just your phone.
Wireless chargers are useful on your bedroom’s bedside table or work desk, but they are impractical to carry around while traveling. Plus, you will need a power brick for the wireless charger itself.
As evident, there are several reasons why I prefer fast chargers over wireless chargers. They are faster, more versatile, and can charge more than just your phone or laptop. But that’s not to say wireless charging is pointless.
It’s a great option when you don’t want to fiddle with cables, like on your office desk. Convenience is one of the reasons why we recommendusing a wireless charging station nightstand. Similarly, they are practical inside vehicles, as you can conveniently place your phone on a specific part of the center console to top up its battery.
