Tag Archives: Wireless charging

EU Orders All Brands To Use USB-C, Including Apple!

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It’s official – the EU has ordered all brands to standardise on the USB-C connector for all mobile chargers, including Apple!

 

EU Orders All Brands To Use USB-C, Including Apple!

On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, the European Parliament voted decisively in favour of adopting the USB-C (USB Type C) port as the new standard for all portable devices.

The directive passed with an overwhelming vote of 602 MEPs in favour, and just 13 against (with 8 abstentions), and now heads to the EU Council for the formality of a final approval.

Once the Council signs off on the directive, it will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal. Member states will then have 12 months to transpose the new directive, and another 12 months after that transposition period, to apply the new rules.

Once these new rules are enforced, consumers will be able to use and share chargers since all portable devices use the same charging port.

The EU expects the directive to greatly reduce e-waste, and help consumers save up to €250 million a year on purchasing chargers of different standards.

In the EU, chargers alone account for about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year. So this directive will help to cut down on the environmental impact of disposing of so many old or unused chargers.

 

Details Of EU Directive On USB-C Standardisation

Here is my quick round-up of the new EU directive on standardising portable devices and laptops on the USB Type C charging port.

All Devices Must Come With USB-C Charging Port

What this means is that by the end of 2024, all portable devices sold in the EU must come with a USB Type C charging port.

Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port.

Small devices like smartwatches and health trackers that cannot fit a USB-C port are exempted from this requirement.

This directive is more or less directed at Apple which persists in using its own proprietary Lighting connector for its devices – everything from iPhone, iPad, AirPods and even its wireless keyboard and mouse.

The only way for Apple to get around this is to switch their new devices to wireless charging before the end of 2024.

All Devices Must Support USB-C Fast Charging Standards

Also important is the fact that the EU is going to force all brands to adopt USB-C fast charging standards.

While the legislation won’t stop manufacturers from implementing special fast charging capabilities, it will ensure that their chargers and devices support USB-C fast charging standards as a minimum.

All devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.

USB-C Mandate To Extend To Laptops In 2026

On top of that, the directive also requires laptops to standardise on the USB Type C charging port by spring 2026.

This new directive will not please Apple MacBook users who just celebrated the return of the MagSafe connector, but it will be a great advantage for consumers.

Once enforced, everyone will be able to use their laptop’s USB-C charger to also recharge their other devices, because they all have the same USB Type port!

Dedicated Labels

The directive also requires brands to use dedicated labels to help consumers decide if their existing chargers will support their new devices, or if they need to purchase a new charger.

This will hopefully prevent consumers from being hoodwinked into purchasing a new charger with every new device, when their existing chargers will work just as well.

Dedicated labels will inform consumers about the charging characteristics of new devices, making it easier for them to see whether their existing chargers are compatible.

Buyers will also be able to make an informed choice about whether or not to purchase a new charging device with a new product.

Wireless Charging To Be Standardised Too

The directive also commanded the European Commission to tackle wireless charging interoperability by the end of 2024.

It highlighted the risk of brands using proprietary wireless charging technologies to “lock in” users, replicating what Apple did with its Lightning connector for wired charging.

Like with wired charging, the EU wants wireless charging to be interoperable as well.

 

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Keep Your iPhone + MagSafe Away From Medical Devices!

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If you own an Apple iPhone or use an Apple MagSafe charger, please make sure you keep them away from medical devices!

Find out why you need to be careful about putting them in close proximity with medical devices!

 

iPhone 12 + MagSafe : As Safe As Older iPhone Models

On 23 January 2021, Apple updated their safety guidance on the magnets in their iPhones and MagSafe chargers.

It addressed the concerns about the radios and larger number of magnets used in their latest devices :

  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • MagSafe Charger
  • MagSafe Duo

Apple claims even though they contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are “not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models“.

 

Keep Your iPhone + MagSafe Away From Medical Devices!

While Apple does not believe that the risk is higher in these newer iPhone 12 models and MagSafe chargers, they also noted that the magnets and radios could pose a risk to medical devices in close proximity.

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact.

These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.

Therefore, Apple recommends that you keep ALL iPhone models and MagSafe chargers away from medical devices, like pacemakers and defibrillators.

  • more than 6 inches or 15 cm apart, or
  • more than 12 inches or 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging

They also advised all users to stop using their iPhone or MagSafe accessories, if they suspect that they may be interfering with medical devices.

Note : This does NOT mean that the magnetic fields or wireless emissions of your iPhone or MagSafe accessories are dangerous to your health. They only pose a risk to medical devices.

 

Safety Guidance On iPhone + MagSafe Magnets + Radios

Here is Apple’s latest safety guidance on iPhone and MagSafe magnets and radios :

iPhone contains magnets as well as components and radios that emit electromagnetic fields. All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices. 

Though all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they’re not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models.

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging). But consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.

Consult your physician and medical device manufacturer for information specific to your medical device and whether you need to maintain a safe distance of separation between your medical device and iPhone or any MagSafe accessories. Manufacturers often provide recommendations on the safe use of their devices around wireless or magnetic products to prevent possible interference. If you suspect iPhone or any MagSafe accessories are interfering with your medical device, stop using your iPhone or MagSafe accessories.

 

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Will Ship Without Charger : Good Or Bad?

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Xiaomi CEO just announced that the Mi 11 will NOT come with a charger. Instead, he hints at something better.

Is that a good decision, or a bad one for Xiaomi? What do YOU think?

 

Confirmed : Xiaomi Mi 11 Will Ship Without In-Box Charger

Not everything Apple does should be copied, but Xiaomi appears to be following their lead in dropping the in-box charger.

The upcoming Mi 11 smartphone will be the first Xiaomi smartphone to ship without a charger in the box. As the picture below shows, the Mi 11 box is very thin.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun announced this, citing “environmental protection”, and saying that they are well aware that this decision may not be popular with their customers.

The picture of the box also gives sharp-eyed Xiaomi fans a preview of the Mi 11’s key features :

  • 108 MP AI Super Camera
  • Super AMOLED Display with HDR10+ support
  • Sound by Harman / Kardon

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 : Good Or Bad To Ship Without Charger?

Echoing Apple’s words, he said that everyone has a lot of idle charges which is both a hassle for users to keep track of, and a burden to the environment.

Apple may be correct in that assessment since they have been using the same, piddling slow 5 watt charger for umpteen years until they introduced the 18 watt fast charger for the iPhone 11.

So iPhone users can use their old chargers from years ago without any change in charging experience.

But Android smartphones, including those from Xiaomi, have long provided much faster charging :

All those fast charging capabilities require new in-box chargers that support their higher charging speeds.

While you can use the old 5 watt or 10 watt chargers from years ago, they will not deliver the charging performance Xiaomi is quoting for their smartphones.

 

Xiaomi Mi 11 : A Better Solution Than In-Box Charger?

Lei Jun cryptically suggested that there may be a better solution for both the industry and the environment, which he will reveal at the Mi 11 press conference on 28 December 2020.

This is quite possibly some form of fast wireless charging technology, of which Xiaomi recently demonstrated an 80 watt prototype.

But it will doubtless be offered as a separate upgrade, although it is possible that Xiaomi may bundle a fast wireless charger with the Mi 11 as a sweetener during these difficult times.

If Xiaomi ends up doing that, the talk won’t be about how they screwed their fans out of an in-box charger, but how they generously ushered in a new world of wireless charging.

Recommended : Xiaomi Disses 15W MagSafe With 80W Mi Wireless Charging!

 

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Xiaomi Disses 15W MagSafe With 80W Mi Wireless Charging!

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Just after Apple introduced their 15W MagSafe wireless charger, Xiaomi unveils the 80W Mi Wireless Charger!

Take a look at how fast a modified Mi 10 Pro recharged wirelessly using this new 80W wireless charger!

 

Xiaomi Disses 15W MagSafe With 80W Mi Wireless Charger!

Apple may have wowed their fans with the new 15W MagSafe wireless charger, but Xiaomi just showed us the future of wireless charging.

Introducing the new 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology by Xiaomi!

As this video showed, the 80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology recharges the 4,000 mAh battery of a modified Mi 10 Pro astoundingly quickly :

  • 0% to 10% : 1 minute
  • 0% to 50% : 8 minutes
  • 0% to 100% : 19 minutes

In comparison, last year’s 30W Mi Wireless Charging Technology took much longer to recharge a similar battery :

  • 0% to 50% : 25 minutes
  • 0% to 100% : 69 minutes

 

80W Mi Wireless Charging : May It Come Soon!

Xiaomi has not announced when they will actually introduce 80W Mi Wireless Charging in a production smartphone, or offer the charger for sale.

However, based on the fact that they recently introduced the Mi 10 Ultra with 50W wireless charging capability, we could see 80W wireless charging introduced as early as next year!

 

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OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : Vapourware?

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OPPO just unveiled 125W Flash Charge  and 65W AirVOOC – the fastest battery charging technologies in the world!

Find out if these new OPPO flash charging technologies are really useful, or just vapourware!

 

OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : A Quick Primer

OPPO 125W Flash Charge is a wired fast-charging technology, that is built around a Double 6C cell battery, with multiple tab winding technology, and three parallel charge pumps.

This allows it to recharge a 4,000 mAh battery to 41% in 5 minutes, and to full capacity in just 20 minutes! Crazy fast!

OPPO 65W AirVOOC, on the other hand, is their improved wireless fast charging technology that will deliver the same performance as wired 65W SuperVOOC fast charging.

By using parallel dual charging coils, it can fully recharge a 4,000 mAh battery in just 30 minutes! Crazy fast for wireless charging!

Recommended : OPPO 125W Wired + 65W Wireless Charging Tech Details!

 

OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : Vapourware?

First, we have to point out that these are, as far as we know, still prototypes that may or may not make it to the market.

After all, OPPO announced their 120W Super FlashCharge last year, and nothing come of it. No phone launched with 120W flash charging capability, not even from OPPO.

So will OPPO introduce 125W flash charging or 65W AirVOOC? Unlikely anytime soon.

For one thing, they are brand new, only in prototype stage, and would be prohibitively expensive to add to any smartphone.

Smartphone manufacturers, whether OPPO or another brand, will need to test and certify the safety of these new battery charging technologies.

On top of that, they have to consider the cost. Apple and Samsung are reputedly considering removing bundled chargers to reduce cost.

Will any smartphone brand be willing to allocate a bigger cost budget for 125W Flash Charge or 65W AirVOOC capability? We doubt it…

 

OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : Useful?

The OPPO 125W Flash Charge and 65W AirVOOC technologies are incredibly impressive, from a technical perspective.

We would personally love it if all smartphones come with it. However, will consumers pay top dollar for a particular smartphone just because it has 125W Flash Charge or 65W AirVOOC capability?

We doubt it. After all, how often do you really need to recharge your smartphone?

Smartphones now have much larger batteries, and the industry has made great strides in reducing power consumption. Most smartphones can now easily last 10-12 hours on a single charge, with heavy use :

At most, you will need to recharge your smartphone at the end of your work day, and that takes what – just 60 to 90 minutes with a regular fast charger?

So, in our humble opinion, the 125W OPPO Flash Charge is nothing more than a technology showcase that will unlikely be introduced in any smartphone anytime soon.

 

What We Are Rooting For : 65W AirVOOC!

The OPPO 65W AirVOOC technology, on the other hand, has the potential to be a real game changer. Wireless charging is the future.

That said, its current implementation, which requires two Peltier heat pumps to keep cool, is not practical, and highly inefficient.

But if OPPO can improve it to the point it only requires a fan to keep cool, or better still – passive cooling, everyone will want to implement 65W AirVOOC!

So we are rooting for OPPO to continue improving AirVOOC, particularly their work on single coil wireless flash charging, which should reduce thermal output.

 

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OPPO 125W Wired + 65W Wireless Charging Tech Details!

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OPPO just unveiled 125W wired flash charging and 65W wireless charging – the fastest in the world!

Get briefed on the new OPPO flash charging technologies, and find out if they really matter!

 

OPPO Reveals 125W Wired + 65W Wireless Charging Technologies!

Let’s start with the official tech briefing on the two new fast charging technologies.

OPPO 125W Flash Charge (Wired)

The new OPPO 125W wired flash charging technology is built around a Double 6C cell battery, with multiple tab winding technology – allowing for a much higher input current of 12.5 A.

The new battery charging technology also uses three parallel charge pumps, which converts the charger input of 20V @ 6.25A into 10V @ 12.5A, with a 98% conversion efficiency.

To ensure the battery charges safely, OPPO added 10 new temperature sensors, to make sure the phone temperature do not exceed 40°C.

At 125W full power, it will recharge a 4,000 mAh battery to 41% in 5 minutes, and to full capacity in just 20 minutes.

However, this is a prototype technology, which will not soon make it into any phone.

OPPO 65W AirVOOC (Wireless)

OPPO claims that the 65W AirVOOC will deliver the same charging performance as 65W SuperVOOC, thanks to parallel dual charging coils with an 88% charging efficiency.

This allows it to fully recharge a 4,000 mAh battery in just 30 minutes! Crazy fast for wireless charging!

To ensure that the phone temperature does not exceed 40°C, the AirVOOC wireless charger uses two thermoelectric coolers (Peltier heat pumps) to whisk the heat away from the charging phone.

However, anyone who has ever used a Peltier can tell you that it gets very hot on the other side!

While OPPO claims an 88% transmission and receiving efficiency, the power required for thermoelectric cooling will greatly reduce AirVOOC’s power efficiency.

 

Two OPPO GaN Fast Chargers

OPPO also announced two fast chargers that use GaN technology to greatly reduce their sizes.

This is the OPPO 50W mini SuperVOOC charger, which is about the size of a business card, and weighs just 60 grams.

And this is the OPPO 110W mini flash charger, which offers 110W of pulse charging in a charge the size of a regular 18W fast charger.

 

OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : Vapourware?

First, we have to point out that these are, as far as we know, still prototypes that may or may not make it to the market.

After all, OPPO announced their 120W Super FlashCharge last year, and nothing come of it. No phone launched with 120W flash charging capability, not even from OPPO.

So will OPPO introduce 125W flash charging or 65W AirVOOC? Unlikely anytime soon.

Find out WHY in our opinion piece : OPPO 125W Flash Charge | 65W AirVOOC : Vapourware?

 

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The Complete Samsung Galaxy Note7 Pre-Order Details

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Kuala Lumpur, 5 August 2016 – Just a few days after its big reveal at the Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event in New York City, London and Rio de Janeiro, the revolutionary Samsung Galaxy Note7 phablet has seen nods of approval from thousands of fans and tech enthusiasts around the world.

In Malaysia, fans are at the edge of their seats waiting for the arrival of Samsung’s most anticipated flagship from the Galaxy Note series. To celebrate this positive reception, Samsung Malaysia Electronics is opening pre-orders for their latest Galaxy Note as early as this coming Monday, 8th August 2016 at 10:00am!

Fans eager to get their hands on this coveted Galaxy Note7 will be pleased to note that Samsung is introducing exclusive Galaxy Note7 pre-order deals for the first 4,000 units, where Malaysians can expect savings and rewards worth up to RM957.

Apart from a free 10,200 mAh Battery Pack and a Wireless Charging Stand, these 4,000 earlybirds will receive an exclusive 10% discount for the Galaxy Note7 which retails at RM3,199 / ~US$ 799.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 Pre-Order Steps

Step 1: Access the online Galaxy Note7 pre-order site at www.samsung.com/my/note7preorder and read the terms and conditions of the Galaxy Note7 pre-order before proceeding with your pre-order.

Step 2: Select colour option and preferred collection point out of 74 Samsung participating stores.

Step 3: Make deposit payment of RM300 via Paypal and look out for Note7 pre-order confirmation email in inbox.

Step 4: Make your way to your pre-selected choice of outlet between 18th-21st August and pay balance
payment to collect your unit.

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