If Xiaomi’s latest announcement is anything to go by, we might soon bid goodbye to traditional charging methods. Over the years, technological advancements have given us wireless chargers. Although a cable and a power brick can still juice up our devices quicker, the other offers cord-free convenience. The company claims its new Mi Air Charge system will charge gadgets remotely. This hints at a true-wireless future for the consumer electronics industry.
As it stands right now, so-called wireless chargers face an annoying drawback. Using electromagnetic technology, our smartphones, smartwatches, and other supported electronics must be in close proximity for the induction coils to work. What the Mi Air Charge from Xiaomi envisions are living rooms with fully wireless smart home products and so much more.
These include speakers, desk lamps, handsets, smart wearables, among others. According to Xiaomi, it will deliver 5W remote charging to compatible devices within a certain radius. The exact number was not available as of this writing, but it should be several meters. In addition to simultaneously charging multiple gadgets, stuff like furniture apparently does not affect its charging efficiency.
“Beacon antenna broadcasts position information with low power consumption. The receiving antenna array composed of 14 antennas converts the millimeter wave signal emitted by the charging pile into electric energy through the rectifier circuit, to turn the sci-fi charging experience into reality,” explains Xiaomi. When the Mi Air Charge system becomes commercially available, it will be a major milestone that will completely change the way we use our smart devices and design our homes.
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