First major PC manufacturer supports wireless charging standard
Coinciding with the addition of Dell’s membership, the A4WP is introducing a secondary, higher-powered initiative focusing on wirelessly charging electronic products such as ultrabooks, laptops, and mid-powered appliances from 20 to 50 watts. Dell’s addition to the A4WP group is significant because it recognizes the importance of defining a wireless power standard that spans higher power levels beyond the smartphone marketplace.
A4WP membership now totals 80 companies including board members Broadcom, Gill Electronics, IDT, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, SEMCO, and WiTricity in addition to other industry leaders such as Fujitsu, Haier, HTC, LG, Panasonic, and SanDisk.
The A4WP is standardizing wireless power transfer using near-field magnetic resonance technology, called Rezence, which is capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously and without the need to dock the device. Power levels and charging speed will meet the expectations of today’s "always on, always connected" user.
"The development of magnetic resonance technology will improve the customer experience when it comes to wireless charging and bring the capability into more homes and businesses over the next few years," said Glen Robson, Dell VP and CTO.
"The A4WP continues to make progress on its mission to cut the power cord for all mobile devices," said Sanjay Vora, GM for Strategic Planning of Intel’s PC Client Group. "Extending the Rezence specification to include higher-power, more capable devices like Ultrabooks and 2 in 1’s is a necessary evolution that will help to accelerate charging station installations and bring a truly enjoyable ‘No Wires’ user experience to more users. We are excited to have Dell joining the Alliance and help expand the specification."
Earlier this month A4WP signed an agreement with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) with the aim of establishing global interoperability of the two wireless power standards.
The two organisations represent the major rival standards bodies focused on wireless charging technologies used for recharging of batteries in portable devices. The PMA promotes inductive wireless charging and A4WP promotes resonant wireless charging.
The agreement should accelerate the development of an interoperable wireless charging ecosystem to drive the broad consumer adoption of wireless charging.
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