Few years ago machine learning was just a concept that appeared to be far away from being practical. But today some of the major tech-players are exploring all the possible use cases. Though there are still some limitations in terms of the hardware, for implementing wireless charging, this is still considered to be a technology that has a bright future.
Apple has set the stage
We have seen several Android phones with wireless charging feature. But then the real impact has been with the introduction of the new iPhones with wireless charging feature. iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all come with effortless wireless charging facility. Though the charging mat is not included these are compatible with standard Qi wireless charging stations. As with other iPhones these too have become trendsetters.
Apple has been acquiring several companies recently to support its work towards strengthening AI and other such technologies. And one such notable acquisition has been that of PowerbyProxi which is a New Zealand based company offering wireless charging solutions. In the words of Apple’s vice president, hardware engineering, Dan Riccio, this acquisition is a step as “Apple works to create a wireless future” Talking about Apple’s plan of taking the wireless charging to the next level, he said, “We want to bring truly effortless charging to more places and more customers around the world”.
Earlier it was just the Apple Watch that featured wireless charging compatibility but now the new iPhones have joined the league too. One thing we know for sure is that when Apple does something new, it does grab a lot of eyeballs and creates a whirlwind of reactions from other major tech companies as well. This is also true in the case of wireless charging.
Benefits of wireless charging
The hype around wireless charging is given so much significance because it does offer numerous benefits.
- No more clutter due to charging cables strewn across your workspace you would only have to plug the charging mat to the electrical outlet.
- We find several smartphones that are splash resistant but water entering the ports can damage the phones. Wireless charging eliminates the need for a physical port on the smartphone and can thus help in making truly water proof phones. This also means that you would not face charging issues that occur due to the accumulation of dust in the charging ports.
- Standard wireless charging can be used for all devices that support wireless charging facility. This would not require adapters to suit the charging interface type on that particular smartphone. For the phones that do not have wireless charging built under the hood there are charging cases that make them ready to be placed on a charging mat.
- One of the biggest benefits of wireless charging is the ability to simultaneously charge multiple devices.
Consumer Electronics Show 2018
One of the things we learnt from this year’s CES is that 2018 is bringing a lot of new advancements in the wireless charging area. Consumers are already in love with the wireless charging on the iPhones and there are many other wireless charging pads to be released very soon. We have already seen some wireless charging furniture that have made their way into the market and this is just the beginning. Charging pads in all sizes and shapes are available and these make it easy to charge a variety of devices without the need for finding a suitable cable for each of them.
The limitations
One of the major challenges is to keep the form factor slim and compact while incorporating wireless modules inside. There are few downsides that we already know about wireless charging. One is the speed of charging. Inductive coupling would take a longer time to charge the device than conventional charging with cables. There is a lot of energy being wasted in the form of heat with the electromagnetic energy transfer. This makes this a less energy efficient method. It might take some time for the technology to overcome all these challenges and find suitable solutions to them. So conventional wired chargers are not going away anytime soon. But wireless charging would definitely gain momentum in the coming years.
Meanwhile, if you’re in need of getting your device fixed, be sure to bring it over to iService.
