Wireless charging is awesome. Full stop. But the compromises manufacturers have to make to make it a ubiquitous are simply too great. Let’s ignore the fact that multiple wireless charging standards exist for a second and focus on what life must be like for a handset maker. If they include wireless charging in their phone, that means the cost of materials goes up, as does the thickness of the device. Do you include the wireless charger in the box? No, because again, it’s expensive, and you can sell it to consumers for $50 at the store.
Case in point: Samsung used to sell a wireless charger for $50 on their website. Said charger didn’t come the wired charger you need to plug the wireless charger into the wall. Now granted, if you’re buying this charger, you’ll likely plug it in using the wired charger that came with your phone. After being bombarded by customers, Samsung raised the price of the wireless charger to $60, which kind of stinks, but they also included the required wall units. And here’s where Android Police gets furious: Samsung gives customers coupons for 50% off any wireless charging accessory of their choice, but only if it’s less than $50. With the new price being $60, that’s now a useless coupon. Sometimes, it’s funny to see one hand not knowing what the other is doing.
