Qi wireless charging: how it works and what to know
What Qi is
Qi is the most widespread standard for wireless charging. The charger has a coil that creates a magnetic field; a coil in the phone or the earbud case turns it back into current. Because it is a common standard, any Qi device charges on any Qi pad.
The newer version, Qi2, adds magnets that line the phone up on the charger by themselves, so you no longer hunt for the right spot.
Earbuds on a wireless pad
The GTA18 case charges both over USB-C and wirelessly: you set it on any Qi pad and it charges by itself. A small display on the case shows the remaining charge without opening the app.
For earbuds, wireless charging is very convenient: you leave the case on the pad on your bedside table or desk and forget about cables. The case has a small battery, so the slower speed of wireless charging is not noticeable.
Why it is slower than a cable
Some energy is lost as heat between the two coils, especially if the device is not sitting exactly over the charger's coil. That is why wireless charging is usually slower than by cable and warms the phone more.
On magnetic power banks the difference shows in the figures: magnetic charging usually gives fewer watts than the USB-C cable. For an overnight top-up speed does not matter; when you are in a hurry, use the cable.
How to place it properly
Put the device in the centre of the pad: the coils need to sit one over the other. If charging starts and stops, move it a little. On phones with magnetic alignment, the magnets do this by themselves.
Remove cards, metal stand rings and very thick cases: metal heats up in the magnetic field and can stop the charging, and cards with a magnetic strip can be damaged.
Heat
A device charging wirelessly warms up a little; that is normal. To keep it from getting too hot, do not charge under a pillow or blankets, keep the pad on a hard surface and out of the sun.
Many phones slow charging by themselves when they get warm, to protect the battery. If charging takes unusually long, check whether the phone is warm.
Which charger you need
Any Qi pad charges a Qi-compatible earbud case such as the GTA18. For a phone, choose a pad that gives the power your phone accepts, and feed it from a wall adapter strong enough: a wireless pad is only as fast as the adapter behind it.
On the bedside table and the desk
Wireless charging shows what it can do on the bedside table: at night you set the phone and the earbud case on the pad, and in the morning they are full, with no cables falling behind the bed. On a desk, a wireless pad keeps the phone topped up all day without plugging and unplugging it each time you stand up.
If your pad takes only one device, charge the phone overnight and the earbud case in the morning: the case charges quickly, it has a small battery.
Myths
"Wireless charging ruins the battery." No, as long as the device does not overheat; heat is the problem, not the missing cable.
"The magnetic field is dangerous." Qi pads work at low power over a few millimetres; follow the maker's instructions as you would with any electrical device.
"Any wireless charger charges any phone." Only if both are Qi; almost every phone with wireless charging today is.
What it means for earbuds
For earbuds, wireless charging is about convenience, not speed. The case charges while you use the buds or sleep anyway, so it does not matter if it takes a little longer. What matters is that you stop looking for the cable: you set it on the same pad as your phone.
For travel, still take the USB-C cable: you will not find a wireless pad everywhere, but you will find a USB port almost anywhere, on the plane, the train, in the car and at the hotel.
Every pair with a wirelessly charging case is in the shop, under true wireless earbuds.