From X-bit Labs: Dell, one of the world’s top PC makers, has joined the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), becoming the first major PC original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to join a wireless power standards organization. The manufacturer claims that it will integrate Rezence magnetic resonance charging technology into its laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The A4WP is standardizing wireless power transfer using near-field magnetic resonance technology, called Rezence, which is uniquely capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously and without the need to dock the device. Power levels and charging speed will meet the expectations of today’s “always on, always connected” user, according to the developer.
Coinciding with the addition of Dell’s membership, the A4WP is introducing a secondary, higher-powered initiative focusing on wirelessly charging electronic products from 20W to 50W, like ultrabooks, laptops, and mid-powered appliances. Dell’s addition to the alliance signifies the importance of defining a wireless power standard that spans these higher power levels thus expanding the range of electronics beyond smartphones.
“The development of magnetic resonance technology will improve the customer experience when it comes to wireless charging and bring the capability into more homes and businesses over the next few years. We are excited to work with other industry leaders in the A4WP to deliver on the promise of easy, flexible wireless charging across an array of mobile devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops,” said Glen Robson, chief technology officer of Dell.
The A4WP’s technical specification benefits both industry and consumers alike. Specifically, the A4WP specification leverages broadly adopted wireless technologies (e.g. Bluetooth Smart), which simplifies development and manufacturing. For industrial designers, the A4WP specification utilizes a near-field magnetic resonance technology that provides increased flexibility for wireless charging solutions to be installed into all types of products and surfaces (cars, furniture, etc.). Finally, for consumers, the A4WP’s Rezence™ brand indicates interoperability between devices and chargers and signifies the ability to support simultaneous charging of multiple devices with differing power requirements. Users can simply “drop & go” their devices onto a charging surface without the hassle of accurate positioning or alignment.
Dell joins an existing A4WP membership that has grown to over 80 companies including board members Broadcom, Gill Electronics, IDT, Intel, Qualcomm, Samsung, SEMCO, and WiTricity in addition to other industry leaders such as Fujitsu, Haier, HTC, LG, Panasonic, and SanDisk.
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