September 14, 2017 Apple has introduced wireless charging for its phones. Writing on Quartz, Mike Murphy thinks this is a […]
September 14, 2017
Apple has introduced wireless charging for its phones. Writing on Quartz, Mike Murphy thinks this is a very big deal, bigger than the phones themselves, and writes a post titled The most important thing Apple announced this week was not a phone.
Wireless chargers are already at hundreds of Starbucks locations across the US, and are common at airports. Apple said it envisions a world where many surfaces—from your bedside table to your car’s dashboard to your desk at work—could have wireless charging docks, meaning you’ll never have to worry about remembering a cable again.
Then there is the fact that induction charging isn’t as efficient; instead of the electricity going straight into the phone it is converted to a magnetic field and then back into electricity in the phone, all of which has a cost in efficiency with the energy lost as heat. It takes much longer to charge, probably consuming even more energy. And soon it will be ubiquitous. Mike Murphy notes in Quartz:
Apple sold nearly 212 million iPhones last year. If it sells that many again, once its new iPhones hit the market, then it’s entirely likely that the already burgeoning wireless accessories market will expand even further.
Then there is the question of whether it is safe. There have been decades of studies that have concluded that the electromagnetic fields generated by cellphones and routers are safe, but some people suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), from exposure to electromagnetic fields, or EMF. The World Health Organization, after thorough double-blind studies, concluded that “no scientific basis currently exists for a connection between EHS and exposure to EMF.”
Is wireless charging harmful? Expert opinions are divided. On one side, many scientists confirm that the small amount of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by Wireless Charging is harmless. Others speak of a very harmful radiation that can have a negative impact on the human body.