I consider myself to be a person who tries to keep up to date with technology. However, I’m not a first adopter by any stretch of the imagination. That’s why it’s a big deal when I upgrade any of my devices.
For that reason, I often get surprised by things that are common knowledge to people who are truly following the most recent product enhancements.
For example, until recently:
- I didn’t know there was a way to charge my iPhone faster
- I thought my Bose headphones were obsolete when I got a new phone
- While I bought an iPad Pro, I was still using my old MacBook Air when we traveled
- I finally got a new MacBook but only because I could stack Amazon Prime Day with an AMEX Offer.
After our TWA Hotel visit, I can add one more thing to the list.
- I didn’t know that I could charge my iPhone wirelessly.
I’m sure some of you out there are shaking your head and asking how I didn’t know about this. The reason is that I didn’t need to know about it. In fact, I learned about it totally by accident.
Before our trip to Iceland, we stayed for a night at the TWA Hotel. The rooms were the same as the last time we visited. As is our habit when checking into a room, my first job is typically to take out all of the plugs and get set up to charge our phones and computers for the evening so they’re ready for the next day.
Before looking for a plug, I saw a pad with USB plugs on the nightstand.
I put my phone down and went to grab a plug. And then, the strangest thing happened. My iPhone started to charge.
I didn’t try this first because I didn’t know my iPhone has this capability. As it turns out, many iPhones have wireless charging functionality.
Here’s a list of the models that offer wireless charging:
- iPhone 8 or 8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPhone Xs or Xs Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd & 3rd generation)
- iPhone 12 or 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max
You can charge through your case but it’s not recommended if you have a case that also stores your credit cards.
Looking back at our original hotel review, these charging pads have been there since the hotel opened in 2019.
For us, this is the only hotel we’ve visited that has put a wireless charger on a nightstand. At most hotels, you’re more likely to see this.
This technology is becoming more widespread as we were able to charge our iPhones at the Singapore KrisFlyer lounge by placing them on the charging pads on the table. Once the people sitting across from us noticed what we were doing, they also charged their phones with no cables (and now we’re international trendsetters).
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Cover Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
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