Ikea Furniture Will Soon Be Able to Wirelessly Charge Your Phone
(Gizmodo)
Kiss your collection of cables, cords, and chargers goodbye, Swedish furniture fans: Ikea, purveyor of such fine home décor as the BILLY Bookcase, has announced that it will soon begin selling furniture with built-in wireless charging capabilities.
That means instead of having to reach for a USB cable or adapter every time you need to top off your smartphone or tablet, you’ll simply be able to rest it on top of your nightstand and it will immediately begin charging.
Wireless charging technology works by transmitting power via a magnetic field from a base station to a receiver in your phone or other compatible electronic device. It’s like plugging in your gadget, without the plugs.
Ikea’s offerings will include a handful of lamps, as well as bedside tables and desks. Of course, you’ll still have to build all of the furniture yourself, but installing the wireless charging pad will simply require a few extra screws.
Wireless charging has been around for a few years now, but it still hasn’t taken off on a grand scale. With Ikea’s announcement and Samsung’s decision to include the technology in its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones, though, it seems like wireless charging is poised to finally become a viable alternative to carrying your phone charger in your bag all the time.
There are some drawbacks to the technology, though. First off, in order to use it, you need to own a device that offers wireless charging capabilities.
If your smartphone doesn’t have a built-in wireless charging receiver, you can instead opt for a case or replacement back panel that will add wireless charging to your handset.
The biggest issue with wireless charging, however, is that, at the moment, it doesn’t have a single technology standard. Currently there are two wireless charging options, Qi and Duracell’s Power Matters Alliance (PMA).
The problem is that if you have a device that uses Qi wireless charging, and the charging station runs on Duracell’s Powermat technology, the two will be incompatible, and you won’t be able to charge your gadget.
Ikea’s furniture will use the Qi standard, which means if you buy one of the Swedish company’s new offerings, you’ll want to first make sure that your phone is Qi compatible or get a back panel for your phone that is. It should be available in North America in mid-April, per an Ikea spokesperson. Prices have not been announced.
And if you stop by one of Ikea’s many stores to get some wireless charging-capable furniture, be sure to try the Swedish meatballs. They’re awesome.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.
