Wireless Charging, a Make or Break Feature?

My review of the OnePlus 11 went up at the end of last week and I’ve since switched over to a Galaxy S23+ to take on another round of phone testing. It’s a never-ending testing session over here during the first part of the year. I’m not complaining, by the way, because doing a regular device switcharoo leads to topics like this one today.

I want to talk about wireless charging and whether or not you see it as a make or break type of feature. The topic is here because OnePlus left it out of their OnePlus 11 flagship, saying that it’s not a necessary feature when they include ridiculously fast 80W wired charging and a charging brick in the box.

For those who didn’t take the time to read my review on the OnePlus 11, just know that I called it an issue that they left out wireless charging, mostly because every other phone now has it and it screwed up my daily schedule of using a phone all day before setting it on a wireless charger at bed time to trickle charger overnight. While not complete end-of-the-world stuff, it was a bit annoying to not wake up each morning with a phone at 100% and instead having to find 20-30 mins in the middle of the day to plug the phone into an outlet with OnePlus’ stupidly short and stiff USB cord.

But so we’re clear, I still said it wasn’t a dealbreaker that should cause you to skip the OnePlus 11. Its wired charging is so fast that you really only need a few minutes plugged in here or there to get a substantial amount of battery back.

And in case you weren’t around in 2018, I actually called wireless charging overrated when OnePlus took a bunch of sh*t for leaving it out of the OnePlus 6. Reading back through that opinion, I can’t help but nod at my former opinion that still very much holds up. Wireless charging is actually dumb, except at night when you are sleeping – and that’s the only way I use it (and in a car, which I also said was a good idea).

Of course, Samsung and Google have wireless charging in all their best phones, including this Galaxy S23+ that I received for review purposes. I’m back to easily charging at night on my Pixel Stand and waking up to 100% battery. All is very normal again after OnePlus messed with my world.

But I’m still not completely sure where I stand on this. Would I skip a Pixel 8 if it didn’t have wireless charging? I don’t think so because the software and camera quality would probably outweigh the convenience of night-time wireless charging. I’d probably be open to adjusting my charging life in order to get the things I want, even if it meant not having wireless charging. If this Galaxy S23+ didn’t have it, I’d also probably not call that a dealbreaker omission.

For me, I think wireless charging is a great bonus feature that can add some value, but there are more important items in a phone than being able to trickle charge my device at night or in the car.

What about you?

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