How Bad’s the Wireless Charging Pad? (Ha! A Rhyme!)

[RedolentSurge]

Took delivery yesterday, and drove home about 85 miles from NH to MA, using wireless CarPlay for nav and tunes. In that time, my phone battery went DOWN about 5%. Also, the connection to the pad is sketchy at best, demanding frequent adjustments.

I’ve already searched on the topic, so I see complaints. But is the general consensus that this pad is awful? My wife’s Tahoe’s wireless charger performs flawlessly, topping off her phone while under heavy use.

Any potential solutions? Thanks all!

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[Easy-v]

Wireless charging is not for everyone….you need to have a case that does not impede charging, and sometimes you need to fiddle a bit before you hit the sweet spot and it starts charging.

This is my experience with wireless charging over the last 10 years.

what is so awful about the Bronco?

 

[RedolentSurge]

Wireless charging is not for everyone….you need to have a case that does not impede charging, and sometimes you need to fiddle a bit before you hit the sweet spot and it starts charging.

This is my experience with wireless charging over the last 10 years.

what is so awful about the Bronco?

I’m comparing to my wife’s Tahoe; these are my only wireless charging experiences. The Chevy has a larger sweet spot, a steadier connection, and, you know, charges the battery.

Ford’s frequently loses the connection, and seems, at best, to maintain battery rather than charge it.

This is with an iPhone 12, Apple MagSafe case, tested with and without the case.

 

[Easy-v]

I pick mine up tomorrow, I will let you know. iPhone 11, with some other models I can test with.

 

[Dirty Bronco]

When in your wife's Tahoe are you using Wireless Apple Carplay? Carplay is notorious for killing battery life. It also depends on your phone... Apple puts restrictions on wireless charging unless you're using their hardware. It's lame I know... I get around this by using a Apple Wireless charging puck inside my center console vault. I got an adapter for the 12v plug in there and it charges it up pretty quickly while using wireless car play. This way I can save that cubbie with the OEM wireless charger for my headphones and or additional storage.

 

[gohorns79]

I’m comparing to my wife’s Tahoe; these are my only wireless charging experiences. The Chevy has a larger sweet spot, a steadier connection, and, you know, charges the battery.

Ford’s frequently loses the connection, and seems, at best, to maintain battery rather than charge it.

This is with an iPhone 12, Apple MagSafe case, tested with and without the case.

My iPhone 13 gets really hot when it is on the wireless charging pad in my Bronco. I don't have that issue with any other charging pad.

 

[Raptor.Tremor.Bronco]

I've had 3 fords with wireless Charging including the bronco and they are all 100% useless. Don't even bother with it, I use mine for sunglasses storage

 

[smahones]

Mine gets the phones too hot…I use cords. Even the dashboard usb seemed to overheat….very surprising….but that also could’ve been the sunlight hitting the phone.

 

[roofone2]

Hi

Apple puts restrictions on wireless charging unless you're using their hardware.

Do you have a source? Don’t doubt you, just never heard that and can’t find any good info on it.

Anyway, mine’s totally useless for my iphone XR — with or without a case. Based on another forum post, I’ve bought this to put on top of the tray, but haven’t tried it yet: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B094NF4K6T?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Some day I may do a more permanent replacement, but seems like a fair amount of trouble.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

Wireless charging is not for everyone….you need to have a case that does not impede charging, and sometimes you need to fiddle a bit before you hit the sweet spot and it starts charging.

This is my experience with wireless charging over the last 10 years.

what is so awful about the Bronco?

Heat-heat-heat

It makes phone almost as hot as the charger in our BMW

 

[motocane]

It better than nothing, but I agree with the comments above. Gets the phone very hot and at best holds the current level of charge. It is also pretty finicky on placement so sometimes I'll notice it isn't charging at all.

I don't have charging issues with any other wireless charger although the comment about CarPlay draining could have something to do with it. If my phone charge was already low and needed to charge up, I'd plug it in.

 

[Ksjrb03]

Its completely worthless as you have found out. Get a real charger and use that cubby for storage as we will all end up doing.

 

[mybikeisred]

Mine gets really hot too.

 

[Fonz54]

Took delivery yesterday, and drove home about 85 miles from NH to MA, using wireless CarPlay for nav and tunes. In that time, my phone battery went DOWN about 5%. Also, the connection to the pad is sketchy at best, demanding frequent adjustments.

I’ve already searched on the topic, so I see complaints. But is the general consensus that this pad is awful? My wife’s Tahoe’s wireless charger performs flawlessly, topping off her phone while under heavy use.

Any potential solutions? Thanks all!

I have only had my Bronco for about two weeks. To date I have not had any issues with the inductive charging pad or drops while using CarPlay. Will keep an eye on it though.

 

[SubmarineNuke]

I've noticed it's inconsistent at best. You can set it down in the tray and the notification comes on that your phone is charging, but then you accelerate and it moves or you hit a bump and it moves etc. Then sometimes you'll hit another bump and it'll move back on the charger. I can't see myself relying on this as a reliable source.

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