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Wireless Charging Nears Unification As Powermat Cedes To Qi (engadget.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the powers-combined dept.

Powermat, the only contender to the dominant format Qi, has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and now backs its rival. "Qi has become the dominant wireless charging standard on the market and the recently launched Apple iPhone lineup is evidence of this success," Powermat said in a statement. "[We] will share technology innovation to further unlock wireless charging potential, and will expedite the growth of the wireless charging infrastructure." Engadget reports: Powermat was barely hanging on as a standard, but as it mentioned, Apple's favoring of Qi for its upcoming chargers pretty much sealed its fate. The company was forced to upgrade its chargers to support Qi at Starbucks locations, for instance, so that Apple's Qi-supported iPhone X- and 8-owning clients could juice up. Until a few years ago, there were essentially three standards, the Alliance for Wireless Power, the Power Matters Alliance (no joking), and Qi, which was already the dominant player. The first two merged to form the Airfuel alliance in 2015, of which Powermat was the main player.

37 comments

  1. It also plays Blu-rays! by jfdavis668 · · Score: 2

    We need one standard that supports all use cases.

    1. Re:It also plays Blu-rays! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      We need one standard that supports all use cases.

      May I recommend Emacs?

    2. Re:It also plays Blu-rays! by ELCouz · · Score: 1

      ^^ xD

    3. Re:It also plays Blu-rays! by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1, Redundant

      https://xkcd.com/927/

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    4. Re:It also plays Blu-rays! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Dangit here we go again. My mobile BetaMax only charges via Powermat.

    5. Re:It also plays Blu-rays! by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      Before Emacs has finished loading . . . the battery will be empty.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  2. Palm Pre by MrLint · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It remains in a certain way unfathomable that we still are dickering on this back when in 2009 I had a charging touchstone for my Palm Pre. And it was a matter of changing the snap on back cover.

    Easy simple perfect.

  3. Re:Q? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, they don’t mean that “dude”, fuckwit.

  4. How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is wireless charging any faster than wired? How much less efficient is it?
    What's the range? Do I still need to put my phone on a dedicated slab, or can it charge from across the hallway?
    Regardless of the answer to any of those questions, wired charging is still superior.

    1. Re:How does it compare? by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 2

      Sure wireless charging might be convenient but less inefficient, but in a few phone generations it will become the only way to charge as they will remove the usb charging jack. Finally there will be no pesky physical holes left in the device, just pure vendor lock in. Maybe they will add a full size screen to the back too (wait, please ignore that while I go file for a patent).

    2. Re:How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is wireless charging any faster than wired?

      No. It's slower.

      How much less efficient is it?

      I don't know exactly how much less power efficient it is, but I'm going to guess around half. However, there are other definitions of "efficient". If there are enough charging pads in cars, busses, bars, trains, airports, etc. it will mean you won't have to carry a charging cable when you are trying to pack light. Maybe they'll stop needing to include a wall wart and cable with your phone. You'll be able to buy them separately, which will suck, but it will make packing and shipping new phones more efficient, hopefully reducing costs or at least allowing them to level out for a bit.

      What's the range?

      Very short.

      Do I still need to put my phone on a dedicated slab?

      Yes.

      ...or can it charge from across the hallway?

      I'm done answering your silly questions :-P But, this makes me wonder -- what would it take to add solar panels to a phone? Like a solar powered calculator. It would likely get in the way of the whole "bezel-less future" but what if they were on the back? Behind the screen? Sure it wouldn't charge in your pocket, but at least when you're in a well-lit area, your phone could be trickle-charging from the ambient light. Or what about charging from ambient heat -- that way you possibly could charge your phone while it was in your pocket. Or maybe it would require pants-on-fire levels of heat? I don't know, but maybe someone else does.

      Regardless of the answer to any of those questions, wired charging is still superior.

      Uhh -- I'll keep my charging cable for now.

    3. Re:How does it compare? by lucm · · Score: 2

      your dad shoving his 3” twizzler dick in your mom’s loose fuckhole.

      Don't be rude. The appropriate way to phrase that is: "dipping a baby carrot in an oversized salsa bowl"

      --
      lucm, indeed.
    4. Re:How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you mean less efficient.

    5. Re:How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The point of it is that you can set the phone on the charger without plugging it in and then pick it up again if there's an important tweet.

      It's mostly useful for young people that don't know that you don't have to check just because the phone makes a sound and old people that keep forgetting to charge their phones.

    6. Re:How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been charging my phone exclusively via wireless for the past couple of years and it's pretty damned fast. It's ever so slightly slower than via wire, but the convenience more than makes up for it. I'm using a Choetech triple coil charger connected to a 2 amp charger. I also have a Cruzerlite case on my phone and it has no problem charging through it.

    7. Re:How does it compare? by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      It will not wear out your connectors.
      You do not strane your wires causing you to get new ones.
      You can move your device without getting the jerk when you reach your end.
      When not I. Use you don’t have bare connectors floating around getting dust, dirt or corrosion.
      Having the cable not plug in just right.
      It can allow some devices to become more sealed.
      Being that qi is now standard that allows many makes and models to charge freely without different connectors (This seems to be mostly on Apple in 2018)

      In my experience with phones over the last 20 years is that the main problem that I experience forcing an upgrade is the connector wears out on the device. And I often get damaged cable plugs I need to replace.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    8. Re:How does it compare? by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      It's more or less inefficient.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    9. Re:How does it compare? by torkus · · Score: 1

      It's more than that though. It means you can make any spot you'd set your phone down into a charger. The console in your car. Your nightstand. The table at mcdonalds (we have this at a few places in NYC).

      Oh, and you DON'T NEED A WIRE of whatever random connector type. One less thing to carry or have around. It's typically the first thing to wear out or break. Public chargers are horrible for either having broken/crap cables or totally worn out USB jacks for plugging into. A flat, sealed area you can put your phone down on and charge? The benefits greatly exceed a somewhat slower charge rate for most situations. It sure beats going to a friends house 'anyone got a spare lighting/micro/USBC wire? Forgot mine...'

      This should have been standardized 5+ years ago...probably closer to 10 but people wanted to compete for a 'standard'. Make an open one and be done with it...you know...so the people BUYING these products can benefit on occasion.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    10. Re:How does it compare? by Ksevio · · Score: 1

      It's slower, but still fast enough to fully charge over night. It's less efficient, but phones aren't huge power draws.
      The range is small, you have to put your phone on a slab, like a night stand or dedicated pocket in a car.
      Best of all, you can STILL use wired charging!

    11. Re:How does it compare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have 4 children and 2 cats.
      We have spent over $150 on fucking ipad charge cables in the last few years.
      I know for a fact because the last time all of the cables in the house were broken I freaked out and mined my old newegg and amazon orders to find out. $157.43.. NOT including any cables bought at the 7-11 on our way out of time.

      Kids pull on them until they snap at the connector. Cats fucking EAT the damn things if they dangle off a counter. Little cat tooth marks all along the cable.

      ANYTHING that gets rid of charge cables is a 'Good Thing' tm

    12. Re:How does it compare? by Agripa · · Score: 1

      Is wireless charging any faster than wired? How much less efficient is it?

      It might be as fast but it is less efficient.

      What's the range? Do I still need to put my phone on a dedicated slab, or can it charge from across the hallway?

      Contact range.

  5. Re:APK is an AIDS-infected faggot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK? Moar like APGay amirite!?!

  6. Re:Q? by Tablizer · · Score: 0

    You must know him; you both share similar people skills.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  7. Re:Q? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is the Digg cancer killing Slashdot.

  8. Re:Q? by lucm · · Score: 1

    you both share similar

    -1 double redundant

    --
    lucm, indeed.
  9. Then Apple Shows Courage... by Templer421 · · Score: 2

    And drops wireless charging.

    That or makes only Genuine © Apple Mat Apple compatible.

  10. But why? by SoftwareArtist · · Score: 1

    Can someone explain why I'm supposed to care about wireless charging? I spend less than 10 seconds a day plugging my phone in to charge and unplugging it again. How does this make my life better?

    --
    "I'm too busy to research this and form an educated opinion, but I do have time to tell everyone my uninformed opinion."
    1. Re:But why? by sl3xd · · Score: 1

      One less wire for my Toddler (or pet) to shove in his mouth is good. Charging pads (short-field charging) don't get me there.

      There are, however, the mid-field and long-field wireless charging options in the pipeline that seem more compelling - Energous just received FCC approval for their version which lets you charge anywhere within three feet, with a more powerful version in development that can hit 15 feet. Those are more interesting.

      --
      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
    2. Re:But why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spoken like someone who has never even used a wireless charger.

      It still takes less time to set my phone down and I can set it on my wireless charger in the dark without paying attention and without wearing out the USB port or having cables dangling around. When I want to use my phone, I just pick it up.

      I will NEVER go back to using cables for charging.