Wireless Power After AirPower

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The following is a reflection on the recent AirPower news by AirFuel Alliance President Sanjay Gupta.

As I’m sure you are aware, Apple announced on Friday that they have cancelled their AirPower wireless power program.

Consumers have demanded the ability to quickly and easily charge multiple devices, with differing power requirements without precise alignment, since wireless power first appeared on smartphones. AirPower promised to deliver just that – and Apple’s vision was instantly embraced. Notwithstanding the latest announcement, the dream that Apple shared with consumers was the right goal in 2017, and is right today.

We at AirFuel Alliance alone have the proven technical specifications available today to realize the experiences promised by AirPower.

Technical experts expressed skepticism about Apple’s ability to deliver on AirPower while being fully interoperable with Qi. Throughout AirPower’s development, rumors of technical hurdles ran rife not only within industry circles, but also in the media. Challenges included the large number of coils needed, low efficiency, overheating of devices, and communication issues.  While the broader market may be shocked at Apple’s announcement, we in the AirFuel community are not surprised — wireless power is deceptively complex and it is time for inductive charging to give way to next generation technologies.

Regardless of the technology at play, this very high profile failure to launch is disappointing. It will definitely have a short term impact on the adoption of wireless power in smartphones.  An industry that is risk averse may retreat for a time. However, I am confident that this clears the way for adoption of AirFuel Resonant and RF standards. AirFuel standards are essential to meeting consumer demands — increased spatial freedom, powering multiple diverse devices simultaneously and creation of a scalable and flexible wireless power infrastructure.

The AirFuel community and I will continue to champion and realize our shared vision of powering up without plugging in.  

We, at the AirFuel Alliance, believe that it is time for the industry to transition to the next generation of wireless power technologies that offer a substantial upgrade in consumer experience. We welcome companies interested in our mission to join the Alliance and actively partner with our community to make this vision a reality. (airfuel.org)

For an in-depth understanding of AirFuel Resonant and RF wireless power technologies and why they are essential to delivering 1. spatial freedom, 2. rapid charging, 3. the ability to simultaneously charge multiple devices at various power levels, and 4. a scalable and interoperable global infrastructure, please explore our website.

I look forward to working with you to demonstrate to the world that the future of wireless power is here.

Sanjay Gupta, President

AirFuel Alliance