Wireless Charging

Some car makers are already announcing the death of diesel engines and their replacement by electric ones. As ideal as that might be from an economy and environment perspective, it's still an untenable future, mostly because of problems with the ubiquity and spread of charging stations. If all goes well with this new development, however, that may no longer be a problem at all. Renault, Qualcomm, and Vedecom have successfully demonstrated a Kangaroo Z.E. that was able to charge wirelessly up to 20 kw, even while traveling at speeds of or more than 100 kilometers per hour.

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Filed all the way back in 2015, an Apple patent suggests that long-range wireless device charging might be possible. This patent suggests that Apple might use patch antennas to transfer power wirelessly. They'd transfer power at microwave frequencies (or other frequencies) and could also be used "to support millimeter wave communications." While filed back in 2015, this patent application was first published today, April 27th, 2017.

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No smartphone is going to be perfect. Even Apple's iPhones have their fair share of complaints and imperfections. Given how high-profile the Galaxy S8 is, it's really no surprise that there is a lot more noise being made about each and every potential defect or problem. Following complaints of red tinted screens, some Galaxy S8 owners are now finding themselves unable to charge their smartphones wirelessly even when using Samsung's own wireless fast charging pads.

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Mobile devices have changed not only our lifestyles but has even changed the nature of our work. Some are no longer tether to any desk, office, or even city while others have some amount of freedom to be out and about, as long as they check in from time to time. These road warriors and digital nomads have also created new needs as far as "office equipment" goes. The #LiveFree Backpack by Knomo tries to address as many of those by providing wireless charging, Bluetooth tracking, and tons of pockets for your devices, all in a bag that looks sleek enough for work.

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Despite years of promises, wireless charging has yet to really took root in the consumer’s mind. It is still not an in-demand feature in smartphones the way waterproofing or, to some degree, microSD card slots, have become. In a chicken or egg situation, wireless charging pads, especially in public places, aren’t as common as well, making it inconvenient to rely on wireless technology? But what if topping off your smartphone means simply just placing it nearby another? That is the interesting, and partly scary, scenario that Sony’s latest patent paints, where one device can recharge itself by sucking out power from another. Wirelessly, of course.

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The iPhone 8 may embrace wireless charging, but Apple is reportedly going all-in with developing cable-free solutions, with claims that five different teams at the company are all working on the technology. The absence of wireless charging has long been a point of criticism about the iPhone, forcing owners who want to be free of wires to either jump ship to Android devices where the tech has been commonly offered for some time, or to pick up a third-party adapter, like Mophie's recent Juice Packs. Now, though, it's apparently full-steam-ahead at Cupertino.

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Rumors have been flying for some time now about what we can expect with Apple's redesigned "iPhone 8" sometime this year or in 2018, and one of the oft-reported features coming to the device is wireless charging. The latest news on the topic is that Apple is working with chip manufacturer Broadcom on a solution, according to JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur.

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Without explicitly saying the next iPhone will have wireless charging, Apple has essentially tipped off the world this week. They've joined the Wireless Power Consortium, one of the world's foremost authorities on wireless power standards. This is the same group whose members include Samsung, Qualcomm, HTC, LG, Nokia, and Verizon - at this point they're essentially the winners, if this were a competition.

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A 5-inch "tweener" iPhone 8, in-between 2017's 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones, has again been rumored, along with new - and potentially frustrating - details on charging and accessories. Apple's plans for its smartphones this year have been a source of huge speculation, with various reports now teasing as many as four different potential designs. According to a new set of rumors from Makotakara, however, previous chatter of a "tweener" iPhone is looking more likely.

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Nissan's next Leaf EV could recharge without owners having to plug-in, with the automaker announcing it's collaborating with wireless charging developer WiTricity. The deal will see Nissan embrace support for WiTricity DRIVE, a charging system which replaces the traditional electric car chore of having to plug your vehicle into the nearest outlet whenever you park. Instead, owners will simply have to park on top of a charging pad.

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We've heard plenty of rumors about the iPhone 8 and its expected features, but one of the most persistent rumors has centered around wireless charging. Wireless charging has been a long awaited iPhone feature, and over the past few years, each new phone in the line has been rumored to have it. Of course, reveals have come and gone without any mention of wireless charging, but according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, that trend will end with the iPhone 8.

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You might have heard of uBeam, the Silicon Valley startup that has developed a novel way of wireless charging based on ultrasonic wave technology, but you almost certainly haven't seen or heard about the product in action. That's because uBeam has been somewhat secretive about its tech, not revealing any specific details or public demonstrations. That changed late last week with a low-key unveiling at Los Angeles' Upfront Summit.

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