I Didn’t Know My iPhone Could Do This Until I Stayed At This Hotel

by joeheg

I consider myself to be a person who tries to keep up to date with technology. However, I’m not a first adopter by any stretch of the imagination. That’s why it’s a big deal when I upgrade any of my devices.

For that reason, I often get surprised by things that are common knowledge to people who are truly following the most recent product enhancements.

For example, until recently:

After our TWA Hotel visit, I can add one more thing to the list.

  • I didn’t know that I could charge my iPhone wirelessly.

I’m sure some of you out there are shaking your head and asking how I didn’t know about this. The reason is that I didn’t need to know about it. In fact, I learned about it totally by accident.

Before our trip to Iceland, we stayed for a night at the TWA Hotel. The rooms were the same as the last time we visited. As is our habit when checking into a room, my first job is typically to take out all of the plugs and get set up to charge our phones and computers for the evening so they’re ready for the next day.

Before looking for a plug, I saw a pad with USB plugs on the nightstand.

a red and white wireless charger

I put my phone down and went to grab a plug. And then, the strangest thing happened. My iPhone started to charge.

a cell phone on a charger

I didn’t try this first because I didn’t know my iPhone has this capability. As it turns out, many iPhones have wireless charging functionality.

Here’s a list of the models that offer wireless charging:

  • iPhone 8 or 8 Plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone Xs or Xs Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE (2nd & 3rd generation)
  • iPhone 12 or 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro or 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max

You can charge through your case but it’s not recommended if you have a case that also stores your credit cards.

Looking back at our original hotel review, these charging pads have been there since the hotel opened in 2019.

a bedroom with a bed and a bench

For us, this is the only hotel we’ve visited that has put a wireless charger on a nightstand. At most hotels, you’re more likely to see this.

a screenshot of a social media post

This technology is becoming more widespread as we were able to charge our iPhones at the Singapore KrisFlyer lounge by placing them on the charging pads on the table. Once the people sitting across from us noticed what we were doing, they also charged their phones with no cables (and now we’re international trendsetters).

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

Cover Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

3 comments

Edward July 22, 2021 - 12:18 pm

Yes, I noticed the same when I was at a casino and the slot machine was able to charge my phone!

Reply
MFB123 July 24, 2021 - 12:14 am

Saudia has wireless chargers in their lounges at RUH. I think all airline lounges should adopt this technology.

Reply
BeantownFlyer March 11, 2023 - 4:45 pm

This made my head hurt. You really should NOT write about technology. This has been an iPhone feature since 2017’s iPhone 8!

Reply

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