The team in charge of the new Nexus phones launched yesterday had a session on Reddit today to freely answer questions from Nexus fans. A lot of us were bothered by the exclusion of wireless charging, a smartphone feature Google began with the Nexus 4 and was carried to each subsequent Nexus, until now.
Therefore, of course the question came up in the Q&A: Â “Was it a conscious decision to leave out Qi wireless charging, or was it a cost or design necessity?”
Here was the answer:
[blockquote author=”Google Nexus Team”]Thanks for being a Nexus fan! We added Qi wireless charging starting with N4 because plugging in USB micro B was such a hassle! (Which way is up!?) With this year’s Nexii, we support USB Type-C which has a reversible connector so there’s no more guessing. AND it charges incredibly swiftly: 1% to 100% in 97 mins on the 6P for example (the first ~45 mins of charging is especially fast). Meanwhile, wireless charging adds z (thickness). So, ease of plugging in + fast charging + optimizing for thinness made us double down on Type-C instead of wireless![/blockquote]
There you have it folks. While I give the Nexus team props for doing this kind of session at all (and addressing these tough questions), I’m not feeling this answer.
Specifically, I have a hard time buying that wireless charging has existed because inserting microUSB was such a hassle. It’s more work to plug in at all. That is why people like wireless charging and that was the selling point – no plugging.
The other justification the team gave was that they felt thinness took priority. I also question this response. How thicker would it have been and would we care?
What do you think about Google’s answer to no wireless charging?
Source: Reddit
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Agreed Josh. Give people the option and just because it doesn’t work 100% to expectations is NOT something you take out. It’s something you need to improve on..
I honestly don’t give a $hit about “wireless” charging because the pad is still plugged in anyway so it’s not really wireless.
but its wireless from the charger to your phone that is the point. Electric is not magic, there is always going to be a cable somewhere. This is just saving you from pulling the cable in and out. My Z1 was ruined this way
Wireless charging was never about speed because wireless charging is slower than regular charging. People like wireless charging because of the no plug factor.
Exactly. If I only have to charge it over night, I don’t care if it takes four hours or even six hours as long as it is ready to go in the morning. What I want more is a battery that will last all day. If it lasts all day, who cares how fast it charges?
With wireless charging, you don’t even have to think about charging. You just set it down on the pad when you go to bed or as needed and just pick it up again to answer or leave with it.
Correct, both of you. Wireless recharging is about convenience rather than speed. I have a charging cradle for my phone, and it’s fairly fast as those things go and I like it, but plugging in the phone is a lot faster.
Among other devices, I own 4 Nexus 7s for my children. On half of them the USB port has become so loose that you have to hold the cable in it to get it to charge. Wireless charging gave me a great work around to that problem. I very much doubt the USB type-C will suddenly fix issues with worn out USB receptacles.
wireless charging = 1 handed. Same reason I want a smaller phone, for 1 handed use. Some people don’t mind two handed, and that’s okay too. I think it’s more than just complexity of the action – it’s how many hands it takes to do it. Setting my phone down to charge while I’m laying in bed is just much easier one handed.
I think USB type c is more than enough for me. I’ve bought multiple wireless chargers and have put them around the house, but I’ve never gotten around to using them because its so much faster to charger via USB. IMO, I’d rather have a thinner form factor than wireless charging, and I’m pretty sure that adding a wireless charging component would make it quite thicker. My wireless charging back for my Galaxy S5 makes is about 2mm thicker…. so theres that.
Wireless charging isn’t about the “hassle” of figuring out which way is up for me. It’s about having one less thing to worry about when my phone, sitting on my nightstand, rings early in the morning and I have a hard enough time figuring out how to hold the phone the correct way to answer it without having to deal with a cord that doesn’t reach me and pushes my glasses and everything else off the night stand as it gets pulled taught while trying to answer my phone in a semi-conscious state.
I want my next ms smartphone without any physical port. Wireless charger only
Completely stupid answer. I buy wireless charging receiver pads that tape into the case. They’re thin as duct tape. I seriously doubt that it would add a quarter of a millimeter to the device.
I’ll take my Lg G4 combo of wireless charging and Pleson magnetic connector. I’ve got several wireless bases throughout my home. Great for guests. Several didn’t even know their phones supported it and asked for a microUSB connector. “Oh, just set it on that base.” “Whaaaaaaat?” Then I use the Pleson on the road or if I need a fast charge from fully drained.
http://www.amazon.com/PLESON%C2%AE-Premium-Magnetic-Detachable-Motorola/dp/B01009NQGK
Overnight travel is one time I don’t use the wireless cradle for my phone, mainly because it’s larger to pack than a plug-in charger or even a battery pack recharger. It’s also more expensive to replace if I break it or leave it behind in a hotel room.
I recharge my phone the way soldiers learn to sleep — whenever you can, because the next opportunity might not be soon. Cradle at bedside, charger in the car, battery pack I can carry in-between. This might be overkill, but I’m never caught carrying a dead brick. (And the same charging options work with my tablet/e-reader.)
Pure laziness. They need to listen to their customer and offer quick charge wireless charging. No, thinner design and USB C is not a good enough excuse. Inexcusable going into 2016. It’s like an apple thing to do, leaving out features.
I’am completely baffled by this. I didn’t know the 5X and 6P were without wireless charging. I assumed that it would have wireless charging because of Nexus 4 etc. But now I have second thoughts about buying one, 5X I mean. I really would like to buy the 5X but knowing it has no wireless charging I think I wait another year. Maybe the Nexus team will rethink the whole thing and bring back wireless charging. Wireless charging is really a great feature. Everybody I tell that my phone has wireless charging give me that jealous look. I really question the response of the Nexus team. They can do better.