Wireless charging for phablets, tablets gets a Computex debut

PowerbyProxi's new charger offers up to 15 watts of power

Wireless charger maker PowerbyProxi will demonstrate what it calls "the next evolution of resonant wireless charging" at Computex 2014 this week.

The company plans to show off a 7.5-watt, highly resonant charging system for thin-form devices, such as smartphones and phablets, that can also be expanded to 15 watts for tablets.

Previously, PowerbyProxi's wireless charging devices offered 3.5-to-5 watts of power.

PowerbyProxi is a component company, so the wireless chargers it plans to demonstrate are proofs of concept. The company has partnerships with companies such as Samsung, Texas Instruments (TI) and Linear who choose to build the technology based on the working prototypes.

PowerbyProxi's new charging bowls.

The new system - a bowl and an updated box into which enabled mobile devices can be placed -- is designed to deliver up to 15W of power to a single tablet, or multiple smartphones and phablets. Ultimately this will be backwards compatible with the Wireless Power Consortium's (WPC) Qi (pronounced "chee") standard and forward compatible to resonant v1.2.

"We continue to drive advances in wireless charging technology," Greg Cross, CEO of PowerbyProxi, said in a statement. "Our contributions to the future specification of the Qi 1.2 standard, will enable better performance and more convenient solutions for consumers."

For the first time, PowerbyProxi will also demonstrate a wireless charging pad for mobile devices that enables vertical height charging of up to about one and a quarter inches.

Cross said the added distance will enable charging capabilities to be integrated into public locations like restaurants and hotels, as well as furniture and countertops. Charging can occur through materials including wood, plastic and composites, along with the ability to charge multiple devices within a designated area.

PowerbyProxi's charging box.

PowerbyProxi's new wireless charging bowl transmitter is designed to charge smaller, personal devices -- including wearables -- and devices using AA batteries that can receive a wireless charge. Devices can be placed in any position or orientation, even on top of each other. The bowl, which measures about 4-in. in diameter, offers a sleek design and comes in several colors.

Lucas Mearian covers consumer data storage, consumerization of IT, mobile device management, renewable energy, telematics/car tech and entertainment tech for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian or subscribe to Lucas's RSS feed. His e-mail address is lmearian@computerworld.com.

See more by Lucas Mearian on Computerworld.com.

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