XDA developers: Does the Samsung Galaxy S22 series support wireless charging?

jeudi 10 février 2022

Does the Samsung Galaxy S22 series support wireless charging?

Wireless charging is a feature that many consumers look for in their next phones. Personally speaking, charging a phone isn’t the most tedious task out there, but plugging in and removing a cable takes a couple of extra seconds. Using a wireless charger is just so much more convenient, and many high-end phones support the feature. And if you’re wondering, yes, that includes the Samsung Galaxy S22 series.

All three phones in the Galaxy S22 series support wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging (Wireless PowerShare, as Samsung calls it). That shouldn’t be a surprise considering Samsung’s flagship phones have supported wireless charging for a while. There’s no wireless charger in the box, though. You can see what’s included in the box in our unboxing articles below:

Samsung Galaxy S22 unboxing
Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus unboxing
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unboxing
Also, check out the available Galaxy S22 colors

How does wireless charging work on the Galaxy S22 series?

Just like most other phones right now, the Samsung Galaxy S22 series charges wirelessly with the Qi standard. This is an interface that transmits power over a short-range wireless connection, allowing you to charge your phone without plugging in a cable. Essentially, all you need to do is place your phone down on a wireless charger (it can be a mat, stand, or just about anything that can fit a charging coil inside) and it’ll begin charging if it’s properly aligned. Qi is pretty much the only wireless charging standard that matters right now, so finding a compatible charger should be easy.

Multiple devices charging on a wireless charger

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series supports wireless charging speeds up to 15W, which isn’t the fastest out there, but it’s still decently quick. That’s one of the downsides of wireless charging – it tends to be slower than wired alternatives. The Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus support up to 25W wired charging, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra supports up to 45W charging, for example. That limitation of wireless charging exists because it’s hard to transmit power wirelessly without generating a lot of heat that could potentially cause damage.

But that’s not all, because the Galaxy S22 phones also support Wireless PowerShare, or reverse wireless charging. Essentially, you can use your phone as a charger for another device. The Galaxy S22 series can provide up to 4.5W of power to another device. While you can try to power up another phone this way, it’s really meant for charging accessories that also support wireless charging, like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. Because those devices have small batteries, it’s easy to charge them this way.

Should you get a wireless charger?

Wireless charging isn’t a necessity as much as it is a convenience feature. Like we’ve said, it allows you to just put your phone down on a charger and it will charge, no fiddling with cables required. You can have your phone charging at your desk while you work, or even get a charging stand that holds the phone up so you can easily glance at the screen if you need to. It’s more suited for drop-and-forget situations, so the next time you pick your phone up, you’re in a better position for use in the day.

Samsung 15W Wireless charger stand

Another big benefit is that you can use the USB Type-C port for something else while the phone charges. The Samsung Galaxy S22 (like most flagship phones) doesn’t have a headphone jack, so if you want to use wired headphones, you’re going to need that port. With a wireless charger, you can keep the port free for situations like this. You would need to figure out the ideal charger for such a situation though, as many stands would block the port in portrait orientation, while some others may not have correct coil positioning for landscape charging.

Wireless charging does have its downsides, though, since you can’t really use your phone while it’s charging this way. Every time you pick up the phone, it’ll stop charging until you put it back on the charger, and that can be more of an inconvenience than wired charging for some people. Plus, as we’ve mentioned, wireless charging just isn’t as fast as wired charging most of the time, and it’s more expensive, too.

Regardless, if you think the pros outweigh the cons, you can check out the best wireless chargers you can get for Galaxy phones if you’re interested. Otherwise, we also have a list of the best wired chargers for you.

If you want to learn all about Samsung’s latest phones, check out our Galaxy S22 hands-on, focusing on the regular and Plus models, as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra hands-on if you want the top-tier model. You can buy both phones below, or check out our round-up of the best deals you can get on the Galaxy S22 series.