Global Qi standard powers up wireless charging

The Wireless Power Consortium today launched the Qi 1.0 standard which enables consumer electronic brands and device manufacturers to bring interoperable wireless inductive charging devices to market. The Consortium also announced today the first products certified with Qi.

Qi ensures interoperability between Qi devices from different companies to power and charge on any Qi charging station. The Consortium views interoperability as a key growth driver for the wireless charging market. Qi interoperability reduces the risk of market fragmentation with incompatible products, scaling up the market for wireless battery charging from 100,000 units to 100,000,000 units annually.

By bringing simplicity and convenience to users, Qi triggers a projected 70-fold expansion of the wireless charging market by 2014.* Qi empowers mobile phone manufacturers to integrate wireless power receivers, the semiconductor industry to incorporate the functionality into their chip sets, and infrastructure providers to build chargers in homes, offices, automobiles, hotels and furniture.

"Qi can now be integrated into products. All ingredients for growing the market are now on the table," said Menno Treffers, Chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium. "It took us only 18 months to develop the Qi standard, and less than one month to see the first products certified. Qi is now the industry's choice for wireless power."

The more than 55 members of the Wireless Power Consortium include industry leaders in mobile phones, consumer electronics, batteries, semiconductors, components and wireless power technology. As part of its roadmap, the Consortium now starts work on a wireless power standard for medium power devices including netbooks, laptops, tablet computers, and power tools.