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Bold claims: When it comes to gadgets, nothing is truly wireless unless there is freedom of movement in the user experience. Wireless headphones accomplished this feat a few years ago, and if you ask Xiaomi, it looks like wireless charging did too. The company claims that its new Mi Air Charge technology can remotely charge multiple devices (5W each) over several meters without interference from physical obstacles.
Counterpoint: While it’s great to see innovation and advancement in technology, this Xiaomi announcement is purely hype and it will almost certainly never hit the market. From an engineering perspective, the efficiency of these transmitters is so low that this device would likely require over 1000W of input power to deliver 5W to a phone. Unless the phone is held in a specific position, no power will be supplied. This means that you cannot put your phone on a table, you cannot turn it over, and you cannot cover it with your hand. On top of that, the cost could easily be $ 1000 +. Ads like these come in every few months and without fail they never constitute an actual product.
The Qi wireless charging standard that most electronic devices use these days still requires the host and receiver to be very close, accepting no more than 4cm (1.6 inches) apart for charging. . And although the power output is gradually improving over the years, companies like Xiaomi have come up with their own proprietary fast-charging wireless solutions that recently hit an insane 80W, although the distance limitation is still in effect. square.
In its latest announcement, the Chinese conglomerate revealed Mi Air Charge, a technology that it claims enables true wireless charging “within a radius of several meters”. The technology developed in-house uses phased antennas to locate and direct the radio waves to the receiving device which also has a built-in antenna array to convert these waves into electrical energy for charging.
Xiaomi also notes that Mi Air Charge can simultaneously power multiple devices with 5W and that physical objects do not interfere with the charging efficiency of the technology. The company aims to make it work with smart watches, wearable devices, and smart home products such as desk lamps and speakers. Don’t expect Mi Air Charge to hit the market anytime soon from a Xiaomi executive, however. tweeted in a reply that technology will not reach consumer products this year.
It remains to be seen how Mi Air Charge will affect Xiaomi’s hardware prices in the future and whether users will trade in their fast charging gear (cables, power banks, wall chargers) for a true 5W wireless charging. The company may also need to address safety concerns and ship Mi Air Charge to prove that “it’s not science fiction, it’s technology.”
Editor’s Note: Counterpoint added, written by William Gayde.
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