Two major announcements drastically shifted the wireless charging landscape last week. First, IKEA launched its line of Qi wireless charging furniture. Second, Samsung announced the Galaxy S6 series flagship phone supporting both Qi and PMA wireless charging standards.
This is very important news for the wireless charging industry. IKEA’s position as market leader in consumer products adds significant credibility and legitimacy to wireless charging. As the first major non-electronics manufacturer to offer wireless charging, IKEA’s offerings are thoughtfully designed and well-integrated into people’s everyday lives. A4WP ran a study in 2012 that showed that purchase interest in wireless charging was highest in embedded concepts and IKEA’s products strongly match that consumer desire.
IKEA’s choice of Qi speaks to the maturity of the Qi technology. There are great demos out there showing greater range and higher power capacity using other standards, but the WPC Qi 5w technology is the only platform that is complete enough today to ship on both the transmitter and receiver side. IKEA choosing Qi solidifies Qi as the leading standard in wireless charging.
The second major announcement was Samsung’s adoption and commitment to wireless charging, reinforcing how wireless charging is now a mainstream technology. Samsung has had this capability built into their phones for three generations but complete integration is a milestone for the industry. As one of the leading smartphone manufacturers, this decision will drastically increase the adoption of wireless charging capable devices and drive further infrastructure demand. Samsung’s move will add pressure to other phone and consumer electronics manufacturers to adopt the technology.
These products from IKEA and Samsung will drive an increase in wireless charging adoption for consumers. As demand for this technology increases, we expect an increase in demand for infrastructure support outside of the home — offices, restaurants, coffee shops and more. ChargeSpot’s wireless charging technology is designed for these public and commercial spaces, and we’re very excited to help drive wireless charging adoption forward.
