The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.It's official, all three of Apple's upcoming phones support wireless charging.The feature has been available on Android phones for a few years, and while rumors of a wireless charging iPhone have gone around for years, the reality is actually a lot better than those whispers.Many people(myself included) thought Apple would use a proprietary technology that would require exclusive, potentially expensive accessories.Instead, Apple has embraced the Qi (pronounced chee) standard, the same type of wireless charging technology found on dozens of other major phones.There are already a whole lot of Qi-compatible accessories availableand of course we've already rounded up the best, but I thought it might be nice to know a little more about how it works and its limitations.Before we begin, though, it's important to note that Apple isn't including any wireless charging accessories with any of its phones, not even the $1,000 iPhone X. Itwill ship its own charging pad at some point next year, which has the ability to charge multiple Apple devices at once. While that technology will be exclusiveat first, Apple is going to share it with the Qi standards board so third-party accessory makers can create other options.The most common questions I've heard about iPhone wireless charging are: how doesit work, and will it be as fast as charging through a cable' The first question iscomplicated, buthere's a very simplified version: Electricity is transferred through anelectromagnetic field that is formed between a coil in the charging dock and another coilin the phone. To work, the two coils need to be in close to one anotherwithoutinterference, which is one of the reasons Apple made the back of its new iPhones glass; this type of charging won't work through metal. So, you'll just take your iPhone, put it on top of a wireless charging pad, and its battery will start to refill.As for how well it'll work when up against a traditional cable, we won't know until we test it for ourselves. The top pick in our Qi charging pad buying guide can transfer up to 7.5w of power, which is 50% higher than the 5w adapter that typically comes with an iPhone. On paper, the wireless charger is the clear winner, but how it'll stack up in practice will depend on its efficiency. I tried a wireless charging iPhone case from Mophie earlier this year, and it worked well enough that I nevernoticed a major difference between using it ora cable.Another thing to consider about Qi charging is that because of its proximity limitations, it's only going to work when your phone is sitting on top of a pad. This means you won't be able to use your phone while it's charging the way you would with a cable. On the other hand if you're living in a house with Android and iPhone users, you canall use the same charger, albeit at different times. That cross-system compatibility has earned Qi the reputation of being "the bluetooth of wireless charging."Once we have our hands on the new phones and a few of these Qi chargers, you can expect full reviews and an updated guide, along with new impressions about how well the features works. Still, it's nice that Apple has chosen to adoptand help improvean existing standard rather than trying to add more confusion to the wireless charging world.RAVPower Fast Wireless Charger, $39.99, available at AmazonSEE ALSO:10 practical iPhone accessories under $20Join the conversation about this story
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