Wireless charging is no longer limited to smartphones. From earbuds and smartwatches to cars, furniture, and other everyday devices, the technology is becoming increasingly integrated into the places where we already use technology.

Foldable phones once had an obvious problem: they were bulky.

The newest generation of foldable phones is narrowing the gap between foldable and traditional smartphones. Advances in hinge design, displays, batteries, and internal components are helping manufacturers create slimmer devices that feel more like conventional smartphones when folded.

Foldables Are Getting Much Thinner

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7, for example, is 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded, while weighing 215 grams.  HONOR has pushed the design even further with the Magic V5, which the company lists at 8.8mm thick when folded and 217 grams. The device also uses a silicon-carbon battery to fit a large 5,820mAh capacity into the slim body. The result is important: a foldable phone no longer has to feel like a thick device simply because it has two halves.

How Are Manufacturers Doing It?

Wireless charging usually means placing your phone on a charging pad instead of plugging in a cable. But the technology is becoming much bigger than that.

Think about Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem. An iPhone can attach magnetically to a charger, while compatible AirPods can also charge on the same system.  Now imagine that same idea becoming part of your car, desk, furniture or other devices.

That is where wireless charging is heading.

From Phones to Everyday Devices

Wireless charging already works with more than smartphones. Compatible AirPods, smartwatches and other small devices can use wireless charging, while wireless charging pads are increasingly being built into cars, furniture and public spaces. Apple itself lists wireless charging availability in cars, cafes, hotels, airports and furniture.

Instead of searching for the right cable, the idea is becoming:

Put the device down → It starts charging.

Qi2 Is Making Wireless Charging More Convenient

A major development is Qi2, the newer wireless-charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium. One of its biggest improvements is magnetic alignment. Instead of carefully placing a phone on exactly the right spot, compatible devices and chargers can use magnets to align correctly. That is similar to what made Apple’s MagSafe convenient, but Qi2 is designed as an open industry standard.

The Wireless Power Consortium reported more than 1,200 Qi2-certified products in 2025, showing how quickly the ecosystem is expanding.

Cars Are Becoming Wireless Charging Spaces

Your car could become one of the most useful places for wireless charging.

Many modern vehicles already offer built-in wireless charging pads where drivers can place their phones. The technology can also be designed for other devices, helping reduce cables inside the vehicle. Panasonic Automotive, for example, supplies Qi-based wireless charging systems to car manufacturers and says its systems are designed for smartphones and wireless earbuds.

The long-term idea is simple:

Get into the car → put your device down → charging happens automatically.

The Future Could Be Charging Without Thinking About Charging

The bigger change is not simply faster wireless charging. It is invisible charging infrastructure.

Imagine a desk that charges your phone while you work, a bedside table that charges your watch and earbuds overnight, or a vehicle that automatically charges your devices during a journey.

You would not need to think about where the cable is. Wireless charging would simply become part of the environment.

But Wireless Charging Still Has Limits

Wireless charging is convenient, but it is not perfect.

It can be slower than wired charging, positioning matters, and charging can generate additional heat. Apple notes that wireless charging may use more power than wired charging in some circumstances.  That is why wireless charging is unlikely to completely eliminate cables soon. Instead, the two technologies will probably continue to exist together.

Cables for speed and demanding situations.

Wireless charging for convenience and everyday use.

Wireless Charging Could Become Part of the Environment

The most interesting future is one where charging stops feeling like a separate task. Phones, earbuds, watches, cars and other devices could increasingly interact with charging surfaces around us.

The question is no longer just:

“Can my phone charge without a cable?”

It is:

“How much of the world around me could charge my devices automatically?”

That is why wireless charging is moving beyond phones.