Just dropping your phone on a mat (or piece of furniture) is obviously more convenient than hunting around for a wire and then fixing it in place, and convenience is the biggest reason to use wireless charging over the cabled alternative.

It has its downsides though: you can't really use your phone very easily while it's charging, and the charging is slower than it is when your phone is plugged in.

That might not sound the most resounding endorsement of wireless charging, but once you actually get to use it, that extra convenience can really pay off—buy two or three wireless chargers and put them in your home, office and car respectively, you can grab your phone with you whenever you want. If you need to take a call or check a text, you can pick it right up and set it right back down without yanking out a cable or tripping yourself up.

Now that both Samsung and Apple have embraced wireless charging. The technology should advance at an even greater rate than we've already seen. That means wireless charging is more ubiquitous and closes the gap in terms of speed and voltage on wired charging.