I Need An Outlet!
Despite our increasingly mobile, wireless society, we’re still hopelessly tethered to cords.
The phenomenon is best observed at any airport, where you’ll find hoards of passengers huddled around the nearest electrical outlet, charging their cellphones, laptops and other travel necessities.
In a world of high-tech, it’s a pretty archaic sight!
But what if you could lay your device on any flat surface and it would charge automatically?
This is the vision that at least two companies are embracing, as they race to become the crucial technology for the mobile boom.
Introducing the New Tech Rivalry: Powermat Versus Qi
This technology war is all about how we’ll charge our battery-powered devices in the future.
Wirelessly versus non-wirelessly.
Wireless charging works because of a process called electromagnetic induction. In short, a current of electricity passes from a coil embedded in a charging plate to a complimentary coil embedded in a device.
Truth be told, this technology isn’t new. Braun, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble (PG), has used it in electric shavers and toothbrushes since the early 1990s.
With a concept that simple, you’d think it would be easy to integrate such a technology quickly and efficiently.
Think again.
A number of drawbacks have slowed the implementation of electromagnetic induction – lower efficiency, longer charging times and costlier parts.
But with advances in materials and manufacturing processes, induction is now becoming feasible on a larger scale. And IMS Research expects the number of wireless charging-enabled devices to surpass 100 million by 2015.
Two new rival technologies have emerged from the world’s top two battery makers – Duracell (another subsidiary of P&G) and Energizer (ENR).
Specifically, Duracell’s Powermat versus Energizer’s Qi (pronounced “chee”).
And the technology world’s big boys are firmly split…
Tech’s Major Players Are Picking Their Wireless Partner
In Duracell’s corner… the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) – a group that hopes to forge the standard for wireless charging. The PMA includes BlackBerry (BBRY), LG (LPL), Google (GOOG), NEC (NIPNF), Texas Instruments (TXN), AT&T (T), ZTE (ZTCOY), the world’s fourth-largest handset manufacturer and EU wireless charging spot provider, PowerKiss.
In Energizer’s camp… a competing standards group called the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). WPC members include Samsung (SSNLF), Sony (SNE), Toshiba (TOSYY), HTC (HTCKF), Hitachi (HTHIY), Motorola (MSI), Nokia (NOK), Philips (PHG), Pentax, Huawei and LG.
(Note how LG is hedging its bets by backing both technologies.)
So who’s winning?
By the numbers, the Qi technology is already in more devices worldwide. But PMA is forging important alliances that could quickly tip the scales in its favor.
But there’s a problem…
Intel Breaks From the Crowd…
One drawback of electromagnetic induction is that the coils have to be in very close proximity to complete the circuit – usually no more than four centimeters from each other.
As you can imagine, that could be impractical.
That’s where magnetic resonance comes in. This allows devices to charge at further distances than the induction method, offering more flexibility.
This technology is backed by yet another consortium, hoping to be the standard-bearer for wireless – the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). Although it’s clearly the most experimental technology developed so far, it does have the backing of Intel (INTC).
And just when you thought this area couldn’t get any more crowded, Apple (AAPL) is expected to develop yet another format.
… And So Does Apple
Over the past year, Apple has filed numerous patents that point to wireless charging capabilities for its iPad, keyboards and mice.
No doubt the company expects to muscle its way into the wireless-charging market and let Apple addicts tip the market in its favor.
Maybe that could have happened four years ago, but Apple is going to have a tougher time as its products slowly lose their dominance.
So what’s the key?
With these formats all battling against each other, it’s clear that the eventual winner will need to have…
- A widespread, glitch-free infrastructure.
- Strategic alliances with major device makers to solidify its market dominance.
Next time, I’ll explore some unique ways that these rivals are tackling the infrastructure dilemma.
Ahead of the tape,
Elizabeth Carney
Related Topics: 2013Archive, Consumer Electronics, Elizabeth Carney, Energy, Mobile Technology, Technology Stocks
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