Qualcomm's WiPower brings wireless charging to devices with metal backs

Wireless charging has certainly started to pick up steam recently, with even Samsung putting out flagship smartphones using the tech. There's been just one problem, however: so far no one figured out how to make wireless charging work nicely with devices with metal backs.

This is why the phones that have wireless charging built-in have backs made out of glass or plastic. And this is why devices sporting metal unibody constructions have not been able to add this feature yet.

But that's all set to change, since today Qualcomm has announced that it's managed to make wireless charging work for devices with metal backs, without the need for any additional cases.

Qualcomm's wireless charging tech is called WiPower, and the company promises it will be compatible with the Rezence standard. Mobile device manufacturers will be able to incorporate WiPower in their metal products in the future. The required techniques and reference designs have been made available to Qualcomm's partners today.

With the growing trend of using metal in smartphone construction, this is certainly good news - and could help wireless charging be picked up even more by future handsets. Qualcomm hasn't gone into details about how it all works, sticking to the promo video you can see above for now. But the important thing here is that it works.

It's also good to note that WiPower allows devices to be charged wirelessly without the need for precise alignment or even direct physical contact between the charger and the product it's charging. Furthermore, the technology enables simultaneous charging of multiple devices.

Source | Via