Xiaomi Announces 'Mi Air Charge' Remote Wireless Charging Technology

[MacRumors]

Xiaomi has today revealed its "Mi Air Charge Technology," which is able to wirelessly charge devices from across a room with 5W of power.

Mi Air Charge Technology offers a "true wireless charging" solution, with no cables or stands. Devices charge remotely with 5W of power, using advanced spatial positioning and beamforming energy transmission.

Xiaomi has developed an isolated charging pile unit with five phase interference antennas, which can accurately detect the location of a smartphone. A phase control array with 144 antennas then transmits millimeter-wide waves directly to the phone through beamforming.

For smartphones, Xiaomi has developed a corresponding miniaturized antenna array with a "beacon antenna" and a "receiving antenna array." The beacon antenna broadcasts low-power positional information, while the receiving antenna array uses 14 antennas to convert the millimeter wave signal emitted by the charging pile directly into electric energy via a rectifier circuit.

The remote charging technology is capable of charging multiple devices within a radius of several meters, with each device able to receive 5W of power. Xiaomi also notes that physical objects placed in between the charging pile and the device do not reduce the charging efficiency.

Xiaomi says that it is looking to expand the technology to smartwatches, wristbands, and other wearables, as well as smart home speakers, desk lamps, and more in the future. It is unclear how close Xiaomi is to bringing its Mi Air Charge Technology and charging pile to the consumer market, but today's reveal may suggest that it is sooner rather than later.

The announcement indicates that progress on remote wireless charging technology within the industry is steadily developing. Several years ago, Apple was rumored to be partnering with Energous to deliver its own remote wireless charging solution. Apple is still believed to be researching new wireless charging technologies, and with the advent of MagSafe on iPhone 12 models, the company is clearly interested in new ways to power devices.

Article Link: Xiaomi Announces 'Mi Air Charge' Remote Wireless Charging Technology

 

[Theyayarealivin]

This is what a real wireless charging is.

 

[Munky]

Bring it on!!!...but don't give me cancer pls.

 

[dapa0s]

Men, China really developed insanely fast.

 

[otternonsense]

I'd rather we forgot about iPhone MagSafe until this really becomes a thing.

 

[AndrewForeva]

Xiaomi the money!!

 

[bubulol]

This is what a real wireless charging is.

This is not misleading people
Wireless means not wired
Wireless QI charger my ass, its more like QI (wired) base charger

 

[Mcckoe]

Lol, without quantumly accelerated electrons, how do you plan to generate enough charge to even start a chain reaction flow? Years away, and in its current scope, you’d need two or three of these in every room... static generated capacitance fabrics hold more of a chance of charging your phone through a carbon discharged case; than this has to becoming mainstream... Tech needs to get better, before this is really possible.

 

[GrumpyMom]

Is this safe, and not just for us but also for our pets? I really don’t mind MagSafe or plugging in my phone.

 

[dba415]

Apple will announce it 3 years later and then people will think they invented it!

 

[mi7chy]

Charging rate at 5W so probably better for IoT devices than phablets.

 

[Theyayarealivin]

Charging rate at 5W so probably better for IoT devices than phablets.

Doesn’t matter it’s still pure wireless charging. Baby steps.

 

[_Spinn_]

Sounds cool but I'm fine with my MagSafe charger. This can only charge at 5W and will be way more inefficient than regular wireless charging. Plus I don't want to get cancer from charging my phone 🤣

 

[genovelle]

I remember an article claiming this is what Apple was working on 4 years ago. There was even a patent listing. Maybe it was the 5W slow charging that changed their minds.

 

[W2u7Yw4HaD]

Charging rate at 5W so probably better for IoT devices than phablets.

Yeah but while your around the house your phone's not going to drain down before you go out.. 5w is plenty for the moment.. No more "oh, I forgot to charge my phone before going out" problem...

 

[ani4ani]

Charging rate at 5W so probably better for IoT devices than phablets.

Basically the same as real world "wireless Qi" charging now...and since it is always charging when close, probably quicker in reality

 

[genovelle]

Apple will announce it 3 years later and then people will think they invented it!

They had a patent on this tech 4 years ago, but moved on for some reason.

 

[TheAustrianGuy]

This can‘t be healthy.

 

[NMBob]

Is there going to be a kitchen plate that you can just lay a hot dog on and cook it "wirelessly"? How about a coffee cup? Wasn't this in an episode of The Avengers?

 

[genovelle]

Apple will announce it 3 years later and then people will think they invented it!

They did. They have a patent on the tech from 2017 https://www.dnaindia.com/technology...nts-at-over-the-air-wireless-charging-2571428

 

[cjboffoli97]

This is cool but mostly a gimmick. It seems like you're always going to lose so much efficiency. Even with a magnetic charger right against my iPhone you have to use more power than is going into the device. Just plug it in.

 

[ani4ani]

This is not misleading people
Wireless means not wired
Wireless QI charger my ass, its more like QI (wired) base charger

So until one can charge their mobile phone from a lump of freshly mined coal [without being connected], rather than burn it in a power station, in your world, we will never have "true" wireless charging!

 

[Brandon42]

Lol, without quantumly accelerated electrons, how do you plan to generate enough charge to even start a chain reaction flow? Years away, and in its current scope, you’d need two or three of these in every room... static generated capacitance fabrics hold more of a chance of charging your phone through a carbon discharged case; than this has to becoming mainstream... Tech needs to get better, before this is really possible.

It is not delivering electricity through the beam but rather some frequency of radio waves in a tight beam. The technology is not impossible. I’d think the hardest part is guarding the tight beam so it shuts down safely when someone walks into it (or you could aim a bunch of low powered beams from many directions, then a single beam might be a tiny fraction of a watt and safe to walk through.)

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Anyone have any efficiency data on these technologies? Love the convenience but I suspect it's very lossy.

 

[The Cappy]

Yeah but while your around the house your phone's not going to drain down before you go out.. 5w is plenty for the moment.. No more "oh, I forgot to charge my phone before going out" problem...

Of course, I didn't have that problem before. Charging is so much easier than it used to be, and still people complain it's too hard. Oh well.