What if your case could protect, stylize and charge your phone all at the same time? Well, case maker Spigen and wireless charging technology vendor Ossia are making that a reality with the Forever Sleeve smartphone case. The accessory, announced during CES and expected to debut in 2020 or earlier, is equipped with a sensor that receives power from a transmitter, charging your device wirelessly.
The magic behind this really comes from Ossia, who developed the Cota Real Wireless Power tech. It uses a silicon chip that sends a signal that bounces off objects to connect to a transmitter, which in turn sends power to the device. The transmitter can take various form factors, including inconspicuous ones you wouldn’t even notice, and be paired for doubling its range. With one transmitter, you can charge a device up to 10 meters away, whether it’s on the table, in your pocket, or moving around with you.
The easiest way to think of the transmitter is like a Wi-Fi router. Ossia expects it to operate at 5.8 GHz frequency by the time the Spigen cases are ready and says it can power a mind-blowing 1,000 devices simultaneously.
If you’re concerned about wasting energy, note that the transmitter is not constantly sending out power. That’s only activated if a device with the sensor is in range and in need of a charge. Ossia claims the tech is 500 times more efficient than a AA battery.
Since Ossia licenses its technology, Spigen will be deciding on pricing for its case and necessary transmitter. However, Ossia said it doesn’t expect them to be more than $100. Spigen will also be designing the case, which Ossia assured me would be much more stylish than the prototype they’re showing at CES.
The wireless charging company is also hopeful that by the time the case is released, its transmitters will be in more business locations around the country.
