Three standards is too many for the relatively abstruse area of wireless charging, and convergence between the competing groups will boost uptake far more than new branding. However, while Qualcomm has been trying to drive the would-be standards together by joining all three alliances, for now they are pursuing their own paths, and one of them, the A4WP (Alliance for Wireless Power) hopes to attract attention with a (possibly) more memorable brand name, Rezence.
More importantly, Rezence has about 70 members now, including some big mobile movers such as Samsung, LG and Intel (and Qualcomm). Its technology is up against contrasting approaches backed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). Now it will emulate bodies like the Wi-Fi Alliance by attaching a consumer brand to its platform and mounting a testing and certification program, in order to increase user awareness and trust (a strategy that worked brilliantly in Wi-Fi, but it is uncertain that consumer interest will be as high in charging).
The WPC’s Qi technology has achieved wide adoption in handsets thanks to support from companies like Nokia (its alliance has 175 members), and the PMA’s Power 2.0 gained breakthroughs with service providers like AT&T and Starbucks. Rezence argues that it will poach many deals in the second wave of deployment because, while Qi and Power 2.0 use magnetic induction technology, Rezence has harnessed a what it claims to be a more advanced near-field magnetic resonance approach running in 6.78MHz spectrum. It scored a significant win in October when the Bluetooth SIG decided to partner with Rezence, a pact which could enable devices to communicate with the charging pads in future.
There are pros and cons to the two approaches. Magnetic resonance allows for a larger charging field than magnetic induction, but charging multiple devices at the same time can increase charging time by sharing current, some experts argue. Meanwhile, magnetic induction ensures peak electrical transfer, but devices cannot be moved around very much while charging.
The A4WP is keen to present itself as the more advanced in technology terms, to make up for its slow entry to market, and also aloof from industry feuds. “Remaining above the fray of the squabble that has broken out between first generation players WPC and PMA, A4WP has kept its eye on the next generation and enhanced user experience through wireless charging spatial freedom,” said A4WP chairman Kamil Grajski earlier this year, pointing to a ‘generational shift’. Handsets and other devices incorporating Rezence are expected to be launched at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show.
The word ‘Rezence’ is said to combine the words ‘resonance’ and ‘essence’. The new logo features a lightning bolt inside Z-shaped brackets, and that image can be used as a certification kitemark.
“The challenge for the A4WP marketing committee and its branding agency was to create a distinct and easy to recognize brand concept that would speak to the unique benefits our technology brings to the wireless charging ecosystem,” Geoff Gordon, A4WP marketing committee chair, said in a statement.
However, this sector really needs a single standard to take off on a wide scale across the mobile ecosystem. Some insiders think that will soon be achieved, with Qualcomm’s decision to join all the groups seen as a catalyst. Gary Matos, an Intel employee who serves as director of strategic marketing for the A4WP, told AllThingsD: “Convergence will need to take place. I suspect it is not going to be too, too far off in the future.”
Many big players are now increasing the pressure for unity. Broadcom co-founder and CTO said at a recent press event: “Today, there are three standards and they have to converge. I think this year they will figure out this market is not taking off until they get together.’
Qualcomm, with Samsung and Intel, was a founder of the A4WP and then joined the other two bodies in October. It has licensed its implementation of the Rezence specification to companies such as Gill Electronics, targeting non-handset sectors, notably automotive. In this important market for wireless charging, Qi has made significant progress and earlier this year, it was chosen for a proposed in-car charging standard, which is backed by several major auto firms including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen. That will increase the pressure for the other groups to join forces with the WPC.
This is a technology in its early days and further developments will be seen, whether within industry bodies or not. Recently, start-up Ossia unveiled a long range wireless charging platform called Cota, which can deliver targeted energy to multiple devices throughout a two-storey home. Its patented smart antenna technology uses phased arrays to transfer power, which removes the need for mats or other close contact. Instead, Cota is incorporated in a transmitter, which automatically locates receivers built into devices or batteries, and delivers signals to them continuously, even if they are being moved around.
Another start-up, Humavox, emerged from stealth mode this month and is putting wireless charging in a box. It uses RF technology in a closed container, targeting the emerging sector for small wearable devices such as hearing aids, smart watches, and connected glasses. Its solution consists of the Thunderbolt RF interconnect or Nest container (no relation to Nest the connected thermostat player). Users place their devices within a Faraday cage called the
Nest Power Station and the gadgets are charged with RF signals, received by electronics built into the charging platform and then converted to DC energy. As with A4WP, an advantage is that there is no need to position the devices precisely on the charger, as with Qi.
“By using RF transmission in Nest, Humavox gained control over these waves and managed to accurately point it towards the devices under charge, setting an extremely high level of wireless power transfer efficiency,” Omri Lachman, co-founder and CEO, told EETimes. He points out that the real driver of universal uptake of wireless charging will not be smartphones, but the vast range of internet of things products, a sentiment echoed by Samueli.