iPhone 7 wireless charging screenshot / Photo Credit: Unbox Therapy
Before the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus announcement, there were many rumors about the devices that ended up being true such as the missing headphone jack, the IP67 rating and stereo speakers. However, one of the rumored features that did not make the cut was wireless charging support. Wireless charging support is one of the biggest advantages that Android devices have over the iPhone so it seemed likely that Apple would add that feature to the iPhone 7. But one of the reasons why Apple may have avoided wireless charging in the iPhone 7 is because it did not have a commercially viable solution in time. Most likely, Apple should have an official wireless charging solution ready by next year for the "iPhone 8" because the Cupertino giant has hired wireless charging researchers and reportedly partnered with WattUp and Energous within the last year.
Fortunately Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy discovered an interesting trick that allows iPhone 7 users to wirelessly charge their devices. Several days ago, Hilsenteger uploaded a tutorial video called “iPhone 7 - The Missing Feature” -- which hit over 2 million views within 48 hours on Unbox Therapy's YouTube channel.
In the video, Hilsenteger started out by saying that the thing he missed when switching back to an iPhone from Android was wireless charging. Hilsenteger has wireless chargers by his bed and in his car so the thought of "fiddling with cables" on his iPhone 7 was not "the ideal scenario." When Hilsenteger looked around Amazon.com, he learned that there wasn't an "official solution" for adding wireless charging to the iPhone 7 so he did some trial-and-error to see what worked best.
There are certain combinations that worked better than others. The combination that Hilsenteger learned worked the best was a Laniakea Qi charger and receiver that plugs into a iPhone 7 Lightning port and a soft case that covers the smartphone and the wireless charging receiver. iPhone 7 cases that are made with a harder plastic may not work at all. That is why Hilsenteger recommends the Spigen Liquid Armor iPhone 7 case with durable flex and easy grip. The Spigen Liquid Armor case for the iPhone 7 currently costs $10.99 and the same case for the iPhone 7 Plus costs $11.99. Hilsenteger recommends this “exact setup” to make it work.
This trick may not be ideal for certain iPhone 7 owners. Why? Once you set up wireless charging on the iPhone 7 using this tutorial, then you will notice it is inconvenient to keep unplugging your Qi receiver to plug in wired headphones. So you may want to consider switching to wireless headphones while using the iPhone 7 wireless charger setup.
What are your thoughts about the iPhone 7 trick that makes wireless charging work? Do you plan to try out this iPhone 7 trick? Please leave a comment!
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