Wireless charging has long been supposed to free gadgets from unnecessary wires, but even today it is not a very common solution, and the vast majority of mobile devices still cannot do without recharging from the network. So what is the reason for the reluctance of manufacturers to switch to the mass production of such popular devices?
Lucky devices with wireless charging technology
The ability to charge the battery wirelessly today is mostly flagship
models of different generations. Among them are the Nexus 7 tablet, Nexus 4 and 5 smartphones, LG G2, Motorola's Droid Maxx, Nokia's Lumia 920 and 1020 models, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 - the manufacturer offers optional wireless charging for this model, 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 everyone can afford it.the buyer. And the topic of “feeding” the battery without wires is also of interest to the owners of budget mobile phones, and they are ready to buy even products from little-known developers.
Everyone pulls the 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 / n charging. Moreover, they are independent of each other, so manufacturers of mobile devices have to choose one of them. The most well-known standard is promoted by the Wireless Power Consortium, which deals with Qi technology. More than 200 manufacturers cooperate with this company, and WPC wireless charging is available in about
400 models. The second most popular company is the Power Matters Alliance with its Powermat technology. Her charging mats are equipped with McDonald's and Starbucks cafes. And the third manufacturer is Alliance for Wireless Power, founded by the famous Qualcomm.
Reason for incompatible standards
The basic function of wireless charging of all existing standards is the same - 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 phone, and the second is a charging mat. The latter is connected to a charger that is powered by the mains. The rug generates a magnetic field, and the coil in the mobile device perceives it, converting it back into electricity. This universal scheme worked ondevices and charging mats of the first generations. However, modern standards are able to identify a gadget that needs wireless charging.
Manufacturers explain this with ecology, they say a "smart" charging pad will not waste energy on generating a magnetic field.
Small radius - huge minus
Another reason for the low penetration of this technology is the very limited range of charging mats. That is, the gadget can store energy only by lying directly on the mat. In fact, such wireless charging is still wired, with the only difference that the plug does not need to be inserted into the phone jack. The Alliance for Wireless Power is currently working on the ability to charge at a distance, and Cota has already increased the range to several meters and plans to launch such devices in 2015.
