Possibly due to the placement of USB on most phones - at the bottom, where a drive would stick out awkwardly.
Also, MicroUSB on a lot of devices doesn't seem like the most robust port ever - I think it would eventually wear out with more than just the nightly plug/unplug for charging.
Before wireless charging/data xfer/debugging one had to physically plug the phones in for development in addition to wear and tear from charging so I’ve worn out the micro usb ports on many android devices.
Connector wear and obstruction is real and can make charging or wired interaction extremely hard or even impossible. Connectors also have a lifetime.
For example, my phone's (Samsung Galaxy S6) port has dirt in it that I can't get out, some micro USB connectors wont fit and all of them don't stick in and readily fall out. This is one of the reasons I absolutely loathe and hate micro USB. It's just an extremely bad connector.
Compare this with my Surface Pro 3 (or the magnetic Mac chargers): the magnetic charger is wonderful and Just Works.
Wireless charging is the next step. Sure, you need the pad and it's not as readily movable but damn it's effortless.
Personally I'd prefer magnetic connectors, though.
A lot of common use cases are all but impossible with no port. Think, charging on a red eye flight. Using a power bank for a long hike/camping. Quick charge in the morning when you forgot to charge the previous night, etc.
Wireless just doesn't have the speed nor efficiency to compete. Even if speed is solved, I can't imagine how big a power bank would need to be to compete given the efficiency of wireless charging.
The port wears out over time. I'd rather use the less efficient wireless charging rather than have to replace a port on a device at some point in its life.
That is an excellent point. Ports are always vulnerable.
On the other hand, it seems that wireless charging is also the reason why many modern phones have these stupidly fragile glass backs. So your whole phone gets more vulnerable.
Problem with a charging bay is, you usually cannot use your phone will charging (compared to wired). It's only useful for overnight charging or long term downtimes.
While it's obviously impractical for cars, my experience using a wireless charger with my phone is that despite being a seemingly minor change, it makes quite a bit of difference for me in practice.
Plugging in a micro USB cable is often quite fiddly, and sometimes the cable can fall behind the table and require crawling around on the floor. Not to mention the cables and ports can be quite fragile and end up breaking or becoming loose. Also if I want to use my phone occasionally while I'm sitting at my desk, I either have to have an awkward cable hanging off it, or plug and unplug it repeatedly.
For these reasons, I found I'd occasionally leave my phone unplugged by mistake and have low charge in the morning. Since I got a wireless charger that never happens.
That said, most of these advantages would come equally well from a docking station, the only problem being there's no standardisation for that.
File transfers are outstandingly simple and fast with Airdrop, everything is synced on the cloud, there's screen recording on the phone itself and there's wireless charging.
I wonder why they even keep around that port. Couldn't they create a wireless USB dongle that simulates a wired connection for the situations that "must-have-USB-connection", like Carplay over the USB only or legacy accessories?
Then make a wireless charging cable with magnets(like with the Watch) so that you can charge when using the phone.
I am sure that there would be engineering challenges but Is there a valid reason to have to keep that port around any longer?
In a similar vein, my Nexus 7's microUSB port died and I continued using it for years with wireless charging. Not really a common feature on tablets anymore
I totally agree, and had to Google for answers for this decision.
The rationale, at least what I found, to be that people wouldn't let it completely charge with a different design, but with this one people would leave it charging overnight. Also something about users ignoring the fact that it's wireless and just always use it with the cable attached.
Right. I get that it is marginally more convenient (though I could imagine a stand on which you could plug your phone with one hand). Not sure if it's worth the wasted energy though.
Regarding the lightning/USB port, it feels like a bad solution to a real problem. Couldn't the manufacturer make them more robust/easier to replace, instead of selling more hardware that wastes more energy?
Because, at least when there are magnets involved for alignment, it's easier. I've never ripped a charger out of the wall by picking up my phone in the middle of the night and forgetting I had a short cable attached to my phone.
Kind of like saying you don't understand why we ever had early keyfobs when you still had to carry a key to start the car. It's not about it being superior in every aspect, it's about ease of use.
I completely agree, but was mystified by this statement...
*Please, suggesting something like this and encouraging people to implement it is like coming out with a device that only charges over micro-USB. Just... don't."
What's wrong with micro-USB? I look for it whenever I buy a new device, just 'cause all new phones, cameras, etc. use it (and only it) for charging. It's a nice standard. No?
My experiences differ. I've had plenty of USB-C devices of which the port becomes very loose after a while of normal use. I'm glad my current phone has wireless charging, not because of its convenience but because that way I don't wear out the USB-C port.
USB-A is so simple, two holes and some leaf springs make for a satisfying clunk that doesn't wear out so quickly.
Also, MicroUSB on a lot of devices doesn't seem like the most robust port ever - I think it would eventually wear out with more than just the nightly plug/unplug for charging.
reply