Cell Phone Charging Stations: From Cable to Wireless

  • 2 min read
Wireless Charging
As technology progresses, wireless becomes an essential component of our lives. However, our beloved gadgets, laptops and smartphones, to name a few, still need cables in order to be charged. Even though there have been recent inventions to move towards wireless phone charging, it is mostly still done through cords and wall plugs. The battery is what keeps our cell phones alive and as such, its performance represents a key factor in purchase decisions. As good and sophisticated as iPhones, iPads, tablets and laptops can be, when their battery is dead, well, they simply become unusable.

Phone Charging Today

Efficient devices such as iPhone docking stations, valet charging stationsand multi phone chargers make it possible for us to continuously use our phones. But you don’t carry those around like you do your cell phone. You most probably have them at home and charge your phone there. You can rely on public phone charging stations when you are on the go. You might even want to bring your charger with you wherever so you can frantically start looking for an electrical outlet once you see signs that your phone is about to die.

Wireless Phone Charging

nexus 4What about wireless phone charging? Imagine you could charge your phone simply by setting it down on a particular spot. Fulton Technology, a company that works on technologies capable of improving people’s lives, is developing the concept. Wireless charging would enable people to charge all of their devices everywhere. The technology used for wireless charging is called magnetic induction: it enables wire-free power transfer. How does it work? You need to put your cell phone with an embedded receiver on a charging station and there you go. As of today, the technology works better on short distances but this could change in the future. Power transmitters can be embedded in furniture like tables or nightstands, at home and in public places.  This technology could represent the future alternative to wall mounted phone chargers. Other wireless phone charging stations exist for certain types of phones such as the Nexus 4and the Nokia Lumia 920. The next iPhone might even incorporate built-in wireless charging.

The key for wireless charging to succeed on the market is to ensure compatibility between all devices. Right now, phone charging valets and multi phone chargers come with several cords as cell phones need different types of chargers.  For a winning wireless charging concept however, compatibility between all phones and charging stations is needed. This will ensure people can charge their phone wirelessly wherever they are.

Having wireless phone chargers everywhere would affect people’s lives the same way charging pads and charging kiosks do, taking away the anxiety of running out of power. The wireless and compatibility factors are taking it one step further, making wireless universal phone chargers tomorrow’s possible standard to charge phones. But just like Wi-Fi, wireless phone charging might take years before becoming commonplace.

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