Qualcomm enables wireless charging for devices with metal exteriors

But there are a few drawbacks to wireless charging, like charging speed and the inability for metal devices to charge wirelessly.

“Building a wireless charging solution into devices with metal exteriors is a significant step for moving the entire industry forward”, said Steve Pazol, General Manager of Wireless Charging, Qualcomm Incorporated.

Chipset maker Qualcomm claims it can now wirelessly charge smartphones with metal cases. WiPower will be using the Rezence wireless charging method which, for those who are wondering what is different between the two of them, uses magnetic resonance operating at a fixed resonant frequency that the device is set to as well. It is always nice to be at your desk and be able to drop your phone on a charging pad to top it off while working without having to worry about fiddling with wires. Wireless charging technologies that use an induction charger heat up metal objects, making an induction-based system incompatible with anything metal. The solution uses Qualcomm’s WiPower technology and is designed to be compliant with the Rezence standard, Qualcomm says that this is the first announced solution to support wireless charging for mobile devices that are fashioned out of metal.

To put it in technical terms, Qualcomm taps into a technology known as WiPower, which conforms to a standard called Rezence.

In their demo video, you can Qualcomm haphazardly throw a pile of smartphones retrofitted with WiPower onto a charging plate.

Qualcomm confirmed that the patent for designing a device that can charge through a metal back cover, along with the full suite of WiPower reference designs are available to WiPower licensees.

Wireless charging, although isn’t a necessity yet, is still a handy feature to have on any flagship device. “Today, more device manufacturers are choosing to utilize metal alloys in their product designs to provide greater structural support and, of course, aesthetics”. On the upside, WiPower is faster and far more convenient than current wireless charging solutions by being able to charge devices quicker (it can pump out up to 22 watts of power), and offers more flexible by eliminating the need for precise alignment and/or physical contact with a receiving device.