Bold Claims: When it comes to gadgets, nothing is truly wireless unless there is freedom of movement in the user experience. Wireless earphones achieved this feat a few years ago, and if you ask Xiaomi, it seems that wireless charging has done it too. The company says the new Mi Air Charge technology can remotely charge multiple devices (5W each) over several meters without interference from physical obstructions.
Counterpoint: While it’s great to see innovation and the advancement of technology, this Xiaomi announcement is purely marketing hype and will almost certainly never hit the market. From a technical point of view, the efficiency of these transmitters is so low that this device will likely need 1000W + input power to deliver 5W to a phone. Unless the phone is held in a precise position, no power will be supplied. That means you can’t put your phone on a table, you can’t turn it, and you can’t cover it with your hand. Plus, the cost can easily be $ 1000 +. Announcements like this come along every few months and are without a doubt never a real product.
The Qi wireless charging standard that most electronics use today still requires the host and receiver to be very close to each other, accepting no more than 4 cm (1.6 in) of distance to charge. And while the power output has gradually improved over the years, companies like Xiaomi have come up with their own proprietary fast charging wireless solutions that recently hit an insane 80W, although the distance restriction is still in place.
In its latest announcement, the Chinese conglomerate unveiled Mi Air Charge, a technology that it says enables true wireless charging “within a few meters”. The internally developed technology uses phased antennas to locate and direct radio waves to the receiving device which also has a built-in antenna array to convert these waves into electrical energy for recharging.
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Xiaomi also notes that Mi Air Charge can run multiple devices at the same time with 5W, and that physical objects do not interfere with the tech’s charging efficiency. The company wants to make it work with smartwatches, wearables and smart home products such as desk lamps and speakers. However, don’t expect the Mi Air Charge to hit the market anytime soon since a Xiaomi manager tweeted in a comment that the technology will not appear on consumer products this year.
It remains to be seen how Mi Air Charge will affect Xiaomi’s hardware prices in the future and whether users will trade in their fast charging equipment (cables, power banks, wall chargers) for 5W true wireless charging. The company may also need to address security concerns and actually ship Mi Air Charge to prove that “it’s not science fiction, it’s technology.”
Editor’s Note: Added counterpoint, written by William Gayde.