The Apple Watch has supported wireless charging since it first launched, but we weren’t sure if the new Series 3 would properly support the Qi standard as well. It turns out it kind of does, as recent testing has revealed the Apple Watch Series 3 will only work with certain Qi wireless charging mats.
Japanese site Mac Otakara attempted to charge the Apple Watch Series 3 through various Qi charging mats but results were mixed. Some worked, while others didn’t, like the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Mat Apple mentioned on stage.
We have the iPhone 8 and Apple Watch Series 3 in our office and tried charging them with Samsung’s Qi wireless charging pad for the Galaxy S8. The iPhone 8 worked without an issue, while the Apple Watch Series 3 did not.
So what is the deal with the Apple Watch Series 3? It can charge through the Qi standard, but support isn’t fully functional yet. It’s not clear if full support will come at a later time.
What is clear at this point is that the Qi standard compatibility that is in the new iPhones hasn’t been extended to the Apple Watch Series 3—at least not yet. Hopefully Apple changes that real soon.
