Resonant Wireless Charging Products Expected To Hit Market This Year, AirFuel Alliance Says

After lapsed deadlines for certification and product introductions, a merger between the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) and a rebranding from Rezence to AirFuel, resonant wireless charging has a product road map in place for 2016, the AirFuel Alliance said at CES. The alliance couldn’t speak for member companies’ specific product plans, though, said Geoff Gordon, Qualcomm staff manager-product marketing, on behalf of the alliance. AirFuel Alliance President Ron Resnick said the merging of A4WP and PMA and the consolidation of inductive and resonant wireless charging will ensure interoperability between the two, a "unifying leap forward for the entire wireless charging industry and members.” The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and its Qi specification aren't part of AirFuel, however. While the WPC remains separate with its Qi specification, that’s not stopping manufacturers from moving on with tri-mode wireless charging receivers that enable products to work with any of the three major charging specs. Among the products the alliance had on display in the AirFuel booth was an HP EliteOne 800 G2 all-in-one laptop with tri-charging incorporating PMA, resonant charging and Qi. Discussions are “ongoing” for the two alliances to come together on a single unified charging that also incorporates Qi, Gordon said. AirFuel Alliance announced at CES regulatory approval of its certification program in the U.S., China and “other major technology hubs around the world.” The program has certified more than 60 resonant components, some of which allow manufacturers to bring 1-50-watt devices or 1-70-watt charging stations to market, the alliance said. The certification program aims to provide a unified AirFuel brand that extends to the commercial market to ensure that consumers’ products “will work where they go,” Resnick said. Meantime, AirFuel member companies Chargifi and Gill Industries announced at CES that Chargifi will implement its smart gateway with Gill’s wireless transmitter technology. Chargifi’s aim is to offer restaurants and other venues a way to realize a return on investment from resonant wireless charging through customer data and advertising.