Months ago I already posted about this upcoming tech, but I didn't even know that Lenovo has now finally released it, and apparently it works with a lot of laptops, I will see if it works with my 14 inch Lenovo IdeaPad 3, holy crap this is cool stuff. Surprising that Apple, HP and Dell don't offer this yet, I can't wait for this stuff to become a standard laptop feature. And it's actually developed by a company named energysquare, see fourth link. Actually, I now see that there's conflicting info, in link 3 they mention that Lenovo Go is developed for Thinkpad laptops, or perhaps I'm misunderstanding. https://www.lenovo.com/ao/en/accessories/lenovo-go/wireless-charging-kit https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/24/...reless-charging-kit-laptop-charger-date-price https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-L...e-C-power-for-on-the-go-working.547248.0.html https://energysquare.co
The idea is cool but the marketing hype is all about being wireless. It is not wireless. You still have to plug in the charger. And if adding this feature to an existing notebook, you have to plug it in too. Also, this is one of the least efficient ways to charge a device. I don't know. It makes much more sense (to me, anyway) to go with wireless charging on cell phones. But I don't see it with notebooks.
You are right, I also didn't understand this. Seems like you will still have to plug it into the USB-C port of the laptop. But I'm guessing they will develop it a bit further and eventually this well probably end up as a standard feature in laptops, the receiver will be built-in into the laptop. So this would mean that you could simply place the laptop on the wireless charging mat as soon as the battery runs low, and you will never have to plugin the laptop again, similar to what's already possible with smartphones. I think this can become pretty big, both at home and at the office, it's all about convenience.
Wish DELL would come out with it. It looks totally convenient if they do as the mobile handsets and can set the laptop on a pad to keep it charged up with no hassle.
Lenovo announced at CES2021 that 2 Thinkbook will integrate Power by Contact technology by Energysquare : * Thinkbook Plus Gen 2 (57s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeseGX5TL1U * Thinkbook 13xi (53s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CwFhbi2WgQ
It is probably fine if already built into the laptop, and you always (or almost always) use the laptop in the same place - like at your desk - where you keep the contact pad all the time. But I note it also elevates the back of the laptop. That "tilt" may not be something you want. I just don't see adding this option to a laptop that doesn't already have it built in. You should never say never. I understand many people buy laptops, then "never" use them as portable devices. That is, they only use it in one place and IMO, should have bought a PC and not a laptop - but that's for a different discussion. But the real purpose for having a "mobile" computer is so we can take it from home to work, to school, or on the road. And in those scenarios, even with todays lightweight laptops, most laptop users already hate lugging around a laptop and the charger. So lugging around this [so called] wireless charging pad is not going to make those "road warriors" happy.
You're right, users "hate lugging around a laptop and the charger". It is like for your smartphone. You don't have a wireless charging infrastructure everywhere. This needs time and system interroperability to deploy such infrastructure. But users are also looking for ergonomics and efficiency in charging. We can not afford today to lose power transfer efficiency. This is for the planet, but also for people, because at the end, somebody will have to pay for it.
Yes exactly, that's the whole idea. Basically it replaces the AC adapter, because from what I understood, you don't only have to use it when the battery runs low, but you can simply place the laptop on it all of the time, so the battery will stay at 100%. This means you won't have to constantly plug in and unplug the AC adapter if you switch from workplace, either at home or the office. So it's all about convenience, you basically get rid of yet another cable. And don't forget about the coolness factor. Thanks for the links and I see that you work for the company. Will this technology be integrated into more laptops? Would be cool if you could integrate it into the IdeaPad and Yoga laptop series from Lenovo.
Yes but that's the thing, these wireless charging pads can perhaps be integrated into desks that will be offered by offices, schools and hotels. So this means you shouldn't have to lug around the AC adapter and wireless charging pad at all. But even at home I find it annoying that if I switch from kitchen table to home office desk, that I will have to transport the AC adapter from room to room. I much rather buy two of these wireless charging pads and be done with it. So I personally think this might become quite big, in fact I would like to buy shares in EnergySquare. But they probably first need to improve both the wireless charging pad and the built-in laptop receiver. I'm guessing that heat control is a big factor, especially with fanless devices. But now that I think of it, this stuff can perhaps also be integrated into smartphones, tablets and wireless headphones, so with perhaps only one or two wireless charging pads you can recharge all of these devices at home or the office for example.
I think you are dreaming. Technically you are correct. These could be integrated into desks. But that costs money. Who's going to pay for those desks? And then those desks would need to be plugged into the wall somewhere to power those chargers. How is that going to happen - especially in schools with 25 - 30 (or more) desks in a classroom? And then there's the health risk issues. Cell phone wireless chargers already have been reported to interfere with heart pacemakers and laptop chargers are much more powerful. What happens when someone with a pacemaker walks into a room with 30 of those chargers radiating magnetic waves throughout the room? And once again - what about the ecology of it all. Wireless charging is very inefficient compared to plugging in. It is not, by any means, a "green" solution. Not me. Maybe with phones. Maybe with small tablets. But not laptops.
Well, I'm not saying that all schools, hotels and offices are going to offer them. But there are plenty of companies that are strapped with cash, who can offer this as an extra service, either integrated into desks or not. For companies like Apple and Alphabet this would be like chump change. And I didn't know about the health issues. Also, according to EnergySquare it's not inefficient at all, perhaps they can tell a bit more about it. But anyway, I would buy this stuff for both home and office. It's all about convenience, never having to plugin your laptop again is indeed a dream of mine. I'm not really into smartphones so I didn't even know you can wirelessly charge your AirPods, looks pretty cool. I think it's only a matter of time before Logitech will also start to make stylish wireless charging pads for laptops. But I'm guessing that EnergySquare is further in development. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/chargers.html
If they are strapped for cash, I don't see them investing their limited resources into an expensive technology that most people don't use, or need. I just don't see where there would be any worthwhile return on that investment. Remember, while convenient, wireless charging, besides being very inefficient (and it is, see below), is also one of the slowest methods of charging. It works great for overnight charging. But if someone, like a student, traveler or business person needs a quick charge, plugging in is the only way to go. Well, of course EnergySquare is going to claim it is efficient. They are trying to market it. But the fact remains, this technology requires multiple receivers and transmitters between the device and the charger for power and communications. This method requires converters to convert the DC to the transmitted signal, then converters to convert the received signal back to DC to charge the battery. Besides additional circuitry, components and complexity, those transmitters, receivers and converters all consume additional power that is not being consumed in a direct-wire charging method. So while compared to other converters, they may use efficient converters, just having to convert, transmit, receive, then convert back greatly decreases the overall efficiency - in comparison. .
LOL, my bad, English is clearly not my native language. I now see that ''strapped with cash'' means having a limited amount of money. But what I obviously meant is ''loaded with cash'', that's why I mentioned that for extremely rich companies it would be chump change. Well, let's see if EnergySquare can make it all true. They claim it will be able to charge just as fast as an AC adapter. For example, nowadays you often have flexible workplaces at offices. So when inside the office, you could simply place your laptop on the wireless charging pad all of the time, so the battery will stay at 90 to 100%. And let's say it's a sunny day, you could then work outside for a couple of hours. When battery runs low, you go inside the office and place it on the pad, all without ever having to see an AC adapter again. That's how I picture this would work.
Obvious to you maybe. Even if the company is loaded with cash, companies are in business to make money. I do not see this feature as a money maker. A potential customer is not going to choose, or shy away from a particular hotel, for example, just because it has, or does not have built-in charging pads. Lets not forget that there is no industry standard for laptop charging systems. While 19.5V chargers are pretty common, some laptops use 15V some as high as 23V (at least from what I have personally seen). They can claim all they want. They cannot change the laws of physics. And for sure not all AC adapters/chargers are alike. I have two USB chargers in front of me right now. Both will charge my tablet or phone. One has an output of 850mA. The other 3.2A. Which do you suppose will charge my phone or tablet faster? Which do you suppose the wireless charging pad marketing weenie will use to compare charging speeds with? Not the 3.2A charger, that's for sure. You seem to be falling for the marketing hype. Marketing hype is just that, hype; purposely vague and typically exaggerated to make it sound indispensable. Wow! Talk about marketing hype. You are keen to extoll all these "can't live without" features, but the fact is, you are just talking about very minor conveniences. How hard is it plug in the charging cable? Never see an AC adapter again? Bullfeathers! The charging pad IS an AC adapter! A great big one too - one that takes up a lot of desktop real estate that you cannot simply push aside and out-of-the-way like you can a tiny cable. And again - laptops are, by their very nature, mobile devices. I sure would not want to lug that pad around too when I hit the road. So what does that mean? It means I will still have to carry an AC adapter around with me too. So much for never seeing an AC adapter again. Are these wireless charging pads for laptops convenient? For some, maybe. But folks don't use their laptops, every day, day in and day out, in the same manner they use their cell phones. So wireless charging pads are a great convenience for cell phones, but just a tiny minor convenience (if that) for laptops. And lets not forget, they are not really wireless. Those pads must still be plugged in.
In the situations where this would be useful it wouldn't be practical. Seems like a solution in search of a problem. That it doesn't solve.
I'm just going to add that @Rasheed187 has the right expectation for another useful convenience, and maybe even be such if somehow designed for efficiency (Power distribution-charging) to both sides, maker/implementer/vendor and easily the user. The pro's and con's are equally laden with good points and based in potential. That said the issue of folks with pacemakers where interference is a risk is a valid one too. When we all shop our local retail and even low end retails something analogous is evident. Clerks slide certain merchandise on top of the table to disengage the alarm tag/barcode attached to some goods in order for the purchaser to pass thru the security reader situated at exits that are designed against the unscrupulous. That is a familiar and anymore routine process. Fashioning a laptop charging station into/under a desk, tables etc is of course a different matter but not so far off if refined or found cost worthy, would seem to be another useful convenience. Whether that particular device recharge efficiency eventually becomes practical is one designer's will no doubt continue to experiment with. Just like the Tesla car, so on and so forth. In essence all boundaries of device research improvement/convenience is plowing ahead and turning up some interesting prospects we may actually see in the years ahead.
Perhaps. But certainly not all things that seem great in the beginning, last. For example, what happened to 3D TVs? While curved computer monitor sales appear to be doing well, curved TV sales have plummeted. Why? Because despite all the marketing hype, curved TVs do provide a great "immersive" "panoramic" viewing experience, but only for the one viewer sitting dead center and only at a specific distance away from the screen. For all other viewers, glare, washed out sides, bowing, bent letter boxes and other "distortion" effects start to occur. Also, curved TVs just don't look right when mounted on a wall. Computer users tend to sit front and center of their monitors. So a curved monitor may be fine for that single user. There are certainly other examples of "sounds great" new technologies that didn't pass muster when put into practical use. Until laptop wireless charging can occur "across the room" or anywhere in the home or office, I don't see it succeeding either.
Well, you do know the meaning of chump change? And you do know that companies like Apple and Alphabet have got billions on the bank? If they would be willing to buy this stuff is another thing, only the future will tell. But they often try to lure workers with all kind of cool things. Not to forget that Apple and Google may offer wireless charging for laptops (MacBooks and ChromeBooks) in the future themselves. I'm not falling for anything, that's why I said let's see if they can make it true, because eventually they will need to back up their claims. All I can say is that personally I would buy this stuff and I already explained why, the AC adapter annoys me. To you it's a minor inconvenience, for others it's major enough for them to buy this stuff. Isn't it about the same size as the laptop? Then this shouldn't be a big issue. That's exactly what makes this cool, because the laptop is a mobile device, you should be able to move it around freely inside the home or office, without having to lug around the AC adapter. I don't think it's meant to be used for on the road, it's pretty obvious that it's not practical for all user cases. I believe that's what we call ''wireless charging'' at the moment, so if the device itself doesn't have to be connected to a charging device via wire, it's wireless. Of course others like Motorola are working on true wireless charging ''over the air'', very cool but I don't think it's safe.
I don't see how it's not practical, I already described how I would use it at home and office. The goal is to eliminate the need for AC adapters, it's as simple as that. And again, it's not meant for all user cases. Yes exactly, I'm sure that from a technical point of view, lots of people were skeptical about the electric car many years ago. I personally hope that fuell cells will become big, it would solve the problem with having to wait for 30 minutes or longer to fully charge electric cars, but of course this will eventually also be improved with things like solid state batteries.
OK I see, somehow I associate AirPods with iPhones, forgot that you can also use them with other devices.
If you feel you would benefit from this then great. In general, I'm going to have to agree with Bill that this will not eliminate AC adapters. I will go as far as to assume this will actually have a large brick at the end you plug into the wall. It would be cumbersome to travel with and serve little function in a situation where it takes up space in your home to use it as a charging station. I'm going to agree with Bill again on the fact that most devices have different voltage and amperage requirements so I assume that means for this to work there will have to be a standard adopted by new devices so you would likely have to replace everything for this to be universal. If you want one, I hope you get one. I just don't see any long term mass appeal for this.
I think they were probably predominantly intended for iPhones. Wireless ear buds make life a lot easier lol.
