The meaning of the word 'connected' has undergone a major change in the past year alone, with physical connections no longer being in vogue and wireless solutions taking their place.
I have seen the wireless power industry from a nascent stage and with the current acceptance of this technology by major OEMs, this industry is expected to explode in the next 18 months with wireless charging enabled products.
Reuters
Technavio¡¯s market research analyst predicts the global wireless charging market to grow at an impressive CAGR of more than 33% by 20201, indicating how important this space is set to become. This year has seen many changes in the wireless charging sector, some of which have been detailed below:
All electronic devices are united by the necessity to be charged. Currently, wireless charging is mainly used to recharge smartphones, a market that Samsung and Apple have already begun to explore and consolidate. This is validated by industry data that states that 55% of the wireless charging market share was accounted for by consumer applications.?
In addition to this, wireless charging products still function as accessories that are subsidiaries to smartphones rather than being separate products by themselves. Research has identified certain major areas where users require their phones to be charged: at home, at their work desk, at restaurants and while travelling. By pinpointing prime charging environments, companies will now be able to streamline wireless charging technology and allow a more user-friendly experience.
The coming year will also see the expansion of the charging ambit to include a variety of other devices, thereby making the technology more accessible and easier to integrate into everyday life. This integration will be supported by the evolution of wireless charging products from being mere accessories to lifestyle products in themselves, thus creating a defined space for the technology.
Reuters
One of the challenges to the proliferation of wireless chargers has been its relatively low adoption by OEMs so far. With Apple supporting and other smartphone makers expected to follow suit, the technology is set to reach a large number of consumers who prefer the convenience of wireless charging. This improved adoption will drive the need for a range of wireless chargers to be rapidly expanded, making them a viable option in both public and private space. With the pace of the industry only set to increase, charging on the go will become increasingly common.
Wireless charging products can help users maintain their pace without having to worry about losing power. Keeping these advantages in mind, public spaces and private organizations will look to increase their use of wireless charging products and help create a conducive environment driven by technology.
newtech
The introduction of the Qi standard for wireless charging products has been the first step towards giving the wireless charging space a definite direction. The expansion of the charging products to accommodate Apple smartphones over merely Android phones showcases the move towards making wireless charging more device-agnostic. Building on these changes, organizations will now look to integrate wireless charging technology into industrial product design.
Indeed, wireless charging can even be used to recharge electric vehicles, an area that will have major environmental advantages while also expanding the utility of wireless power. The popularity of wireless charging has also timed itself perfectly with the increased use of IoT-enabled devices across sectors, especially in industry shop-floors and other such spaces.
Organizations will thus look to begin embedding wireless charging solutions into industrial equipment and continue to take advantage of concurrent technological innovations to make the best use of wireless technology.
The wireless charging space has grown exponentially in the past year and the ongoing trends indicate that this growth is only slated to increase in the coming year. Moreover, 2018 may see many smart phone makers such as Xiaomi and others, adopting wireless charging to take advantage of the device and platform-agnostic nature of the technology.
It would be the right time for companies such as Samsung and LG to further proliferate the technology across their portfolio. With more and more smartphone makers adopting this technology, wireless charging will reach the masses and will soon become a lifestyle requirement.?
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Near term Qi standard is anticipated to become an industry requirement for mobile device charging given its acceptance and a mature ecosystem. The future of wireless charging technology however is primed for exciting possibilities with companies like Energous, Ubeam and Powercast making considerable progress with their non-contact based charging technologies.
With commercialization of these technologies, wireless charging will open many opportunities for other sectors too and through collaborative effort, wireless power will be able to deliver on its much-hyped potential.
About the author: With over 20 years¡¯ experience in power management, battery management, system design and product development, Pavan Pudipeddi has previously worked with Texas Instruments and National Semiconductors. One of the founding member of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), he has played a vital role in developing the industry¡¯s first USB fast charger for mobile phones. He's currently the Founder & CEO at PowerSquare.