Wireless Charging Expected to go Mainstream Soon
HTC Droid DNA latest smartphone to feature wireless charging support.
Analysts believe that wireless charging for smartphones is due to go mainstream soon.
The ability to charge a smartphone through an external source instead of plugging it into a power socket has been around for a while, with consumers passing it off as a gimmick thus far.
Jason dePreaux, an analyst for research firm IHS, believes that's set to change. "For sure, we are getting closer to mainstream, and only really recently."
"People should be able to get through the day without battery anxiety," Powermat CEO analyst Polaikine added. "If I'm able to create 1 million wireless charging spots within 18 months, that is mainstream."
Around five million devices were sold this year that featured wireless charging support. However, according to an IHS study, the number could grow to 100 million by 2015. The market for different accessories and wireless power chips is expected to be worth $4 billion by that year, the firm added.
"It's a new market," said Kamil Grajski, president of the A4WP. "The generational changes are going to be pretty fast. The differences are dramatic." Meanwhile, Menno Treffers, chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium said: "Once it's integrated without any penalty for usability and shape, then it will take off."
In addition to the recently released Nokia Lumia 920 and Google's Nexus 4, Verizon Wireless and HTC's Droid DNA will be the latest handset to have wireless charging integrated.

The main advantage is that you don't need to spend 3 seconds more when you want to charge your phone.
But disadvantages are a lot:
Inconvenience - When a mobile device is connected to a cable, it can be freely moved around and operated while charging. In some implementations of inductive charging, the mobile device must be left on a pad, and thus can't be moved around or easily operated while charging.
Lower efficiency, waste heat - The main disadvantages of inductive charging are its lower efficiency and increased resistive heating in comparison to direct contact. Implementations using lower frequencies or older drive technologies charge more slowly and generate heat within most portable electronics.
More costly - Inductive charging also requires drive electronics and coils in both device and charger, increasing the complexity and cost of manufacturing.
Slower charging - due to the lower efficiency, devices can take longer to charge when supplied power is equal.
Healty - Wireless charging using hight frecvency gain the charging efficiency, but also emits electromagnetics waves around the device (SAR value is high)
And if ur too lazy to plug in your phone then you need to change ur lifestyle a bit
Military/security/event companies with a ton of walkies will find this very useful.
Takes years of R&D to work out the kinks and get products functioning how we'd like to see them.
Look at any cellphone from 10 years ago vs today, or an Atari 2600 to any modern console.
It's an interesting concept, but time will tell if it proves practical.
Standard switchmode power supply (plugpack) is less than 85% usually. Then again, the wireless charger will need a plugpack too.
I still think it's a gimmick, but it could be more mainstream in a few years. If someone made one able to cover say a desk, then it would be more useful. EMF would be a bit strong for my liking by then though.
1) Preventing you to FORGET the plug in the 1st place. If my table can charge my phone, when I rest my phone on the table, get distracted chasing my kids around the house, and forget to plug my phone it, it doesn't matter: The phone has been charging.
2) The start of the ability to generate water resistant phones. Each new connector added to the phone adds one more point of failure for a device to be compromised in the event of water spillage. Since most phones have already done away with SD cards, and you can get away with bluetooth everything for connectivity, the only connector left is the all powerful datacord. I am not saying this is a mainstream issue, but a welcomed one to those of us who occasionally walk in the rain...
Furthermore, I can't believe that so many people have such issue with it. This would be a MAJOR money and time-saver for me. I manage a fleet of 36 smartphones for my company, and the NUMBER ONE issue that I have with phones is broken microUSB ports. It's not worth the cost to replace the port, it's cheaper (in the long run) and quicker to just replace the phone. Wireless charging would eliminate that issue completely, and then my only chronic issue would be broken screens, and that's almost completely an iPhone-exclusive problem. I would no longer be replacing barely-year-old phones because they cannot be charged.
the only advantage i ould see for this is integrating power mats into places like bus stations , train stations and airports so that poeple can charge thier device without having to find a place with an outlet.. but then again it involves setting your device on a table i would want to be sitting next to it to avoid it being stolen but given how little power wireless devices use and the numebr of outlets compared to small tables in different transportation agrencies i would call it semi-useful tech
There are no modern console, their based on 6 years old hardware...