Wireless Charging Likely Will Take Years to Go ‘Mainstream,’ Says ABI Report

Wireless charging could “radically change the market landscape,” but it likely will be years “before these technologies become a mainstream solution,” ABI Research said in a Monday report. “Mobile leaders” like Apple and Samsung “are moving wireless charging forward by integrating inductive charging into smartphones and wearables,” said the firm. “But most wire-free charging technologies still need to meet regulatory approval, which could significantly delay product launches or even derail any momentum garnered thus far.” As wireless charging “steps to the forefront” of the market, “the competitive landscape will focus less on competing technologies and more on the growing number of applications and use cases,” it said. ABI thinks inductive and resonant charging “remain the best wireless charging options for now, with shipments clearing one billion by 2019,” it said. But wireless charging “still has many questions to answer in the market” before it can go mainstream, it said.