Wireless charging has long been supposed to free gadgets from unnecessary wires, however, today it is not a very common solution, and the vast majority of mobile devices still can not do without recharging from the network. So what is the reason for the reluctance of manufacturers to switch to mass production of such popular devices?
Lucky devices with wireless charging technology
The ability to charge the battery wirelessly today are mainly flagship
models of different generations. These include the
Nexus 7
tablet , Nexus 4 and 5 smartphones, LG G2, Motorola's Droid Maxx, Nokia's Lumia 920 and 1020 models, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S4 - the manufacturer optionally offers wireless charging, the price of which is about $ 90 . Of course, the number of such lucky gadgets is increasing every day, but they all belong to the premium class and not every buyer can afford it. And the topic of “feeding” a battery without wires is also of interest to owners of budget mobile phones, and they are ready to buy even products from little-known developers.
Everyone pulls a blanket over themselves
One of the reasons for the shortage of wireless chargers on the market is the incompatibility of standards. Today, there are only three main standards for b / p charging. Moreover, they are independent from each other, so manufacturers of mobile devices have to choose one of them. The most famous standard is being promoted by Wireless Power Consortium, a Qi technology company. More than 200 manufacturers work with this company, and approximately WPC has wireless charging
400 models. The second most popular company is Power Matters Alliance with its Powermat technology. Its charging mats feature McDonald's and Starbucks. And the third manufacturer is Alliance for Wireless Power, founded by the famous company Qualcomm.
Reason for incompatibility of standards
The basic function of wireless charging of all existing standards is no different - it is based on the transmission of electricity through a magnetic field, which is created by two copper coils, one of which is equipped with a telephone, and the second is a charging mat. The latter is connected to a charger that is powered from the network. The mat generates a magnetic field, and the coil in the mobile device perceives it, converting it back into electricity. This universal circuit worked on devices and charging mats of the first generations. However, modern standards are able to identify a gadget that requires wireless charging.
Manufacturers explain this to the environment, saying that a “smart” charging mat will not waste energy on generating a magnetic field.
Small radius is a huge minus
Another reason for the small spread of this technology is the very limited range of charging mats. That is, the gadget can stock up on energy only lying directly on the rug. In fact, such wireless charging is still wired, with the only difference being that the plug does not need to be inserted into the telephone jack. Alliance for Wireless Power is currently working on the possibility of charging at a distance, and Cota has already increased its range to several meters and the launch of such devices is planned for 2015.