[POLL] Anker wireless Powercore - 2020 need?

[professor]

• I don’t want the weight, size and cost of wireless added
• I want wireless for convenience, no cable

So in 2020 we have 3 technologies merging:

• wireless charging is getting powerful enough to compete with wired charging in smaller devices like phones. To go fully wireless charging is already viable, albeit it does with current phones accelerate phone aging.

• Graphene cells are just around the corner as commercially viable which recharge fast, more recharge cycles, and handle the heat better of wireless charging. So phones can soon be made which last more than 2 years with graphene cells which can withstand the heat cell aging of wireless charging.

• (suspicion) that the next logical step is a better IP rating phone with no ports, so you can only charge wirelessly, this enabled by the two points above.

So would you go for a port-less phone?

Portless, wireless-only phone then removes one of Anker’s most popular gadgets of a portable charger, unless…

And so to this thread, would you go for a wireless Anker Powercore? Even though it would end up thicker and more expensive? To pair with your wireless phone and/or to ditch the cable, and/or for convenience of not plugging in, even resting next to each other in pocket.

We’re probably talking adding $10-$30 to the Powercore, add a few mm thickness, you’d lose about 20%-30% of the stored energy due to wireless less efficiency, but you’d not buy nor carry a cable so these will be a wash for many.

[Shenoy]

I definitely want to see a Anker Wireless PowerCore PowerBank… (may be a PowerCore"Wi" )

Am ONLY charging wireless from 2020 for all my phones… tired of plugging cables.

[paulstevenewing]

Same here!
My 20000mah PD is heavy and big.
Adding wireless probably wouldn’t make a significant increase in weight or size, but the convenience for me would outweigh this.

But perhaps not so good for those that plug in on the move.

[professor]

Anker generously gave me the 20000 PD Essential and it’s the same size as my phone (but a lot heavier) and so I tend to place it under the phone and cable to make a single hand held package.

[paulstevenewing]

Same PowerBank here
For a wireless solution I think some kind of clip would be a good idea to hold the phone on the PowerBank.
But there adds a bit more bulk.

[professor]

Silicon non-slippy surface?

[J_Hansen]

You could do portless without going fully wireless, a solution with something like the magnet type cables we can already get.

[ikari04warrior]

I would only buy one if the price is good (cheaper than Samsung’s), offered at least 15w of wireless charge and a decent capacity

[Insider]

Anker has so much to catch up on with their PowerCores before they need to worry about adding wireless charging…

[Tank]

I already have a wireless powerbank that can charge my phone wirelessly. It is the last powerbank i grab when i need or want a charge on my phone. Sure cables are inconvenient, but at least i can still use it and my phone without issues

[ndalby]

Still happy with the good old fashioned wires at the moment, though USB-C type are preferred

[richardjamesobrien]

Can’t see how portless phones will become viable personally - so many occasions I’ve had to plug phone into power to force reset etc
Removing the port would just mean more visits to my local apple store - 2 hr round trip is more of a
inconvenience than plugging a cable in

[Dez_S]

Ridiculous. I want our phones and devices to continue to have ports, particularly USB-C. I use my devices in many scenarios at home and at work that require peripherals that connected to these ports.

Although I like wireless charging, it’s not a necessity. The port is.

[professor]

Interesting feedback, I’m seeing a nice-to-have of Anker to make a wireless portable charger, but recoil from phones which may be portless.

[PennStateFan]

Based on market trends, I don’t believe a wireless charging solution on powerbanks is viable. As much as people don’t like to plug in their phones, I don’t think any company is going to go completely wireless since majority of the population is too use to wired charging, and have a sizable collection of wires (whether it is lightning, usb c or even micro). Eventually I can see companies going to a complete wireless charging solution, but that won’t be for a many years.

Personally, I would opt not to purchase a powerbank with wireless capability at this time and prefer space be used for additional battery capacity or even higher watt output to charge a laptop.

[oberbula]

A wireless powerbank to charge samsung watches and apple watches alike would be nice

[professor]

Wireless powerbanks already exist from other vendors. Anker doesn’t make one. I don’t own as I don’t own any wireless charging devices other than the propriety type on my Fossil smartwatches.

I don’t think there is an underlying technology reason for wireless to add weight or size or significant cost, but it is always going to be energy inefficient relative to wired, so indirectly makes a powerbank larger for a given output.

So what I can see is people would use for brief top-up.

[PennStateFan]

Concur–I know they exist, but not very popular due to size. That’s what I meant by not being viable.

I believe they will always add a little bit of size (maybe not weight) due to the coils needed to charge wirelessly. I would prefer that same space to be used to add additional capacity.

[TechnicallyWell]

I have one power bank that includes a wireless Qi charging pad on top, but to be honest, I rarely us it. When I’m using a power bank, I’m usually on the go. Keeping the phone lines up with the Qi “sweet spot” is almost impossible when you’re moving.

Now if it had an Apple Watch charging puck, that’s a little different as a magnet helps hold the watch in place while charging.