Qualcomm was a founding member of the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. That’s important to remember, as they’ve just announced they’ll be joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the rival group of wireless charging that backs the Qi wireless charging standard. So now, Qualcomm is in the odd position of being a member of two separate groups that are both trying to make their own technology the standard of the entire industry. It’s a weird situation, but it may mean that we’ll finally, eventually see one type of wireless charging become the standard in the entire industry, with all major players adopting that one standard.
Both groups support different technologies that differ in key areas. Qualcomm’s A4WP has their own unique spin on wireless charging, and it’s backed by companies like Samsung. They’ve adopted Bluetooth 4.0 LE into their tech, which helps since Bluetooth is already pretty much a standard of their own. The A4WP charging can handle multiple devices and has longer range, partly thanks to that Bluetooth integration.
Qi wireless charging, on the other hand, has its own set of major backers, including Verizon, HTC, and Texas Instruments. Qi is a little different in that it only supports charging a single device for maximum efficiency. Qi has also had a bit more success making its way into mainstream devices, but it’s still far from what anyone would consider a “standard.”
Qualcomm being a part of both groups could be great and could finally create a standard for all manufacturers to use, or there could be some ulterior motives. Generally, Qualcomm seems to want to do what’s best for the industry as a whole, though, so I expect we’ll see something positive come from this new partnership.
source: WPC
via: Engadget
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