We've all been there - the iPhone battery is hitting low, scrambling around but failing to find a wall charger, especially while traveling or in the middle of a road trip. That could be frustrating.

But fear not! We've put together a shortlist of the best alternatives to charging your iPhone without a wall charger.

Using a Computer

One of the simplest and oldest tricks in the book is to use a computer to charge your iPhone. This is especially helpful if you own a laptop and regularly carry it with you. Please note that if you're a MacBook owner, you'll need a USB C to Lightning cable. This method will drain your laptop's battery, so you'll need to make sure that you have enough power to charge your device without killing your computer.

Carrying a Portable Battery

No list of iPhone charging methods would be complete without the classic portable battery (i.e, a cable is necessary for the classic portable battery to charge your phone.). Though they're typically cumbersome, ever since removable phone batteries stopped being the norm, power banks have become as ordinary and common as sunglasses and cellphone cases.

Categorized by their functions, there are 2 kinds of power banks.

The first one is portable batteries embedded into the phone cases. Many cell phone cases are now dual as portable batteries, though these are typically cumbersome.

Another one is general brick-like portable chargers. You can find non-case portable batteries at every grocery store and convenience outlet in any form you can imagine. It's all about finding the one that is the most convenient for your needs.

Though it's pretty convenient for people to charge their iPhone everywhere and every time, it's still not a good option as we need to charge the power bank before using it. That says charging will become time-consuming work. What's more, there must be some charging loss during charging which leads to more energy loss. The most important thing is just to be sure to avoid single-use portable batteries, as these are costly and bad for the environment.

In the car

Another classic of on-the-go charging is using your car to charge your smartphone. Every car from the last twenty years has a 12-volt charging port that you can connect a phone charger to, and most vehicles from the previous five years have at least one USB port that you can directly plug into a cable.

The drawback of charging a phone in the car is that these outlets tend to deliver significantly less power than a wall outlet, so it'll take longer to charge a phone to 100%. This method is better for getting a few extra minutes of charge here and there throughout the day when running errands but isn't beneficial for most users.

Don't leave your phone to charge in the car, either. The sun's heat can easily cause your phone to overheat, reducing your battery's lifespan significantly. On the other hand, cold weather can also reduce your phone's lifespan.

In conclusion, if you're not in your car, your phone shouldn't be either.

The Power of the Sun

While the summer heat can kill your phone's battery, it can also be used to refill it through the magic of solar power when you have a solar-power phone charger.

A solar-powered phone charger is one of the alternate options to charge your iPhone. However, both its advantages and disadvantages are quite obvious.

Speaking to the positive side of a solar-powered phone charger, it could be concluded as followings:

1) A solar-powered phone charger can be used to refill your phone battery without carrying a portable battery.

2) You don't have to remember to charge a portable battery or look for a wall outlet. Just carry your solar charger in your bag and pull it out whenever you're outside.

3) If you've charged it beforehand on a sunny day, you can still charge your phone as the energy is stored for later use.

4) Providing you're traveling or spending lots of time outdoors, it's an excellent investment.

Oppositely, its disadvantages are inevitable.

1）Most solar-powered phone chargers are pricier than a standard phone charger

2）Its functions highly depend on the weather. Let's say, a cloudy or rainy day can quickly make your solar charger useless.

3)The charging efficiency of a solar-powered phone charger is relatively low. That says, they can take several hours to charge your phone.

Wireless Charging

Last but certainly not least, there's wireless charging. Wireless charging has been a feature of many smartphones for several years now, and while it's grown in popularity, it's still one of the most underrated features on your mobile.

Wireless charging is an excellent alternative to a traditional charging cable for several reasons: it works with most of your devices, and it's easier on your battery than a standard cable charger, which can damage your battery through faster charging.

Additionally, you never have to worry about "preparing" a wireless charger. Unlike a portable battery or laptop, you don't have to charge your wireless charger, and it can be used under any conditions, unlike a car charger or solar-powered charger.

Ultimately, a wireless charger for the iPhone is the most reliable option for those who need an alternative to old-school wall chargers.

How to Choose a Wireless Charger for Your iPhone

Any Qi wireless charger can charge the iPhone that supports wireless charging.

If you want to use a wireless charger to charge the iPhone in a vertical state, like on the wall, in the car, or on other occasions where you can mount the iPhone to charge, use a magnetic wireless charger. Magnetic charging will spare trouble finding the sweet spot to charge and make sure charging is continued even if the phone vibrates.

For iPhone 12 and new models, you can snap it onto any MagSafe charging stand without using a case.

If your phone doesn’t support MagSafe, a MagSafe case will do the trick. For example, with the MagEZ Case 4, you can attach your S24 to our MagEZ Slider, a multi-device wireless charger with a MagSafe power bank, to enjoy effortless charging.

If there isn’t a MagSafe case for your iPhone 11 or other models, you may take a look at other magnetic wireless chargers. The MagEZ Mount Qi Desktop, for instance, is an ideal magnetic wireless charging stand for your desk.