All sorts of news coming from the CES 2014, show floor, this time it’s from MediaTek. The company has developed a multimode wireless charger that combines both inductive and resonance wireless charging into a single module.
Inductive charging is currently the most prevalent method of wirelessly charging smartphones. Nokia, Samsung, HTC, and pretty much everyone else’s charging pads are all based on the inductive Qi-Charging standard. Unlike the competition, MediaTek’s solution also offers the option for resonance charging alongside inductive charging.
But why Resonance Charging? Well, resonance charging has several benefits over inductance charging technologies. As the size of the magnetic field is much larger multiple devices can be charged at once, providing that the charger is powerful and large enough. Secondly, you can place your device anywhere in the proximity of the charging station, as resonance circuits can be carried larger distances over the air. No more lining up charging mats to ensure a decent connection.
MediaTek is keen to highlight that its technology will work with pretty much every wirelessly chargeable device, old or new, as it has the ability to charge devices with varying power consumptions, all from a single coil. Impressive stuff, but MediaTek isn’t the only company interested in resonance charging, rumors say Intel is also planning its own A4WP compliant charging bowl. If everything goes as planned the age of the wires will die.
Are you excited?