This article illustrates my issue. Bottom line, I wonder if they test these kinds of things out before modifying their phone design. I am not 100% sure, but I feel like it would logically follow my phone doesn’t charge as efficiently when it isn’t sitting flush.
Even some accessories that hold the MagSafe puck prevent it from fitting well. It’s disappointing.
I own the Duo and the 14 Pro and haven’t had any trouble charging it. (I do not use a case.) YMMV, etc, but it seems OK to me…
It sounds more like an aesthetics problem, then a technical one!
It still charges my phone (case or no case), but I find it harder to seat it on the charger.
Even if it is, I still think it’s a problem they need to address. It looks silly. But also, and I’m no engineer, surely wireless charging is less efficient if the phone has a gap between it and the coils right?
Nope, I don’t think so, they even work on concepts to charge over distances of a couple of meters.
And there are even working concepts of inductive charging of cars, while they drive down a road with some cables (I know it is a little more complicated 
) in it.
So because it works in cars, the phone isn’t susceptible to distance when wireless charging? How far away from a MagSafe charger will an iphone stop charging?
I do not know, but on my “Non-Apple-Standard-QI-Charger” that is covered with a 2mm leather cover, and while my iPhone is in a case, my Xs is still charging while I hold it about one cm above, so it should have no issues with the Original Apple Charger, if it only lies not 100% even.
Misaligned devices can definitely cause slower charging speeds. Google actually address this in an Android update:
Manufacturers not testing properly / checking alignments is nothing new. I had a high end case for an iPad years ago, where it was supposed to have a little circle on the back that showed the Apple logo through the circle. It was at least half a centimeter off, such that the logo was off-center and cut off the top of the logo.
And I’ve thrown away, at least one silicone AirPods case because it wouldn’t work with a wireless charger. Too much thickness.
Thanks for that info – that was what I kind of suspected. Yes, devices can still charge, but probably not as effectively (which with wireless charging already being slower than plug, that can matter).