Why would I buy a fast charger over a wireless charger for my phone any day
Wireless charging is all about convenience, as it allows you to place your phone on the charging pad and recharge the battery. However, I will always prefer a fast wired charger over a wireless charger – the benefits outweigh the convenience that wireless charging provides.
1 Cable chargers provide faster charging speeds
The biggest advantage of using a wired fast charger over a wireless one is the charging speed. Using the power brick, I can charge my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or Xiaomi 14 Ultra at 45-90 W. This is especially useful when traveling, as just a few minutes on the charger can provide several hours of extra use.
This is not the case with wireless charging. Samsung phones only support 15W wireless charging, and the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 5000mAh cell will take more than 2 hours to recharge from near-empty at those speeds.
Some Android phones like Xiaomi 14 Ultra and OnePlus 12 support faster wireless charging. But still, their wired charging speeds are significantly higher.
2 Wired fast chargers are more versatile
Another advantage of fast chargers is their versatility. You can use them to charge more than just your phone if they support USB-C charging. On vacation or trips, I only carry a USB-C charger to charge my phone, laptop, Nintendo Switch, power bank, plugs, and DSLR camera.
Wireless charging is available for phones and headphones, but that’s about it. You can’t use a wireless charger to give juice to your MacBook, Android tablet, or other devices. More importantly, you need a USB-C cable charger to use the wireless charger itself. That’s exactly how current wireless charging technology works, and there’s not much you can do about it.
3 Cable chargers can quickly charge multiple devices at the same time
With a fast charger, I can charge multiple devices at the same time, saving space and avoiding the hassle of managing multiple chargers. I carry a USB-C power cube with three or four ports when traveling to charge my MacBook, phone, iPad, and camera simultaneously and at near full speed.
The best wireless charging stations can charge two or three devices at once. However, their charging speed is not nearly as fast as cable charging. Plus, they can’t charge a laptop or iPad, which limits their usefulness.
4 Fast wireless chargers are expensive for what they offer
Fast wireless chargers are significantly more expensive than wired power bricks. For example, Google’s Pixel 9 series supports wireless charging speeds of up to 23W using the 2nd generation Pixel Stand, which has an MSRP of $79. In comparison, you can get a 45W USB-C cube for wired fast charging for $30 or less – more than 2.5x cheaper than a fast wireless charger.
Regular Qi wireless chargers are available for much 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 cable chargers for a similar or lower price.
5 Carrying wireless chargers everywhere is a challenge
Corded fast chargers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and wattages. Wireless chargers are also available in different sizes and shapes. However, carrying a cable charger is much easier on the go. Because of the versatility of cable chargers, they are simple because you can charge more devices than just your phone.
Wireless chargers are useful on your bedroom nightstand or desk, but impractical to carry on the go. Additionally, you will need a power cube for the wireless charger itself.
Obviously, there are several reasons why I prefer fast chargers over wireless chargers. They are faster, more versatile and can charge more than just a phone or laptop. But this does not mean that wireless charging is useless.
It’s a great choice when you don’t want to mess around with cables, like on a desk. Convenience is one of the reasons why we recommend using a bedside table with a wireless charging station. They are also practical inside vehicles, as you can conveniently place your phone on a specific part of the center console to charge its battery.