A single wireless charging standard for smartphones and tablets just got a bit closer to becoming a reality. Two of the largest wireless charging groups, the Alliance for Wireless Power and the Power Matters Alliance, have buried the hatchet and are officially joining forces.
That's great news for consumers as it means the two organizations, which represent dozens of companies including Samsung, Intel, Starbucks, Duracell and Qualcomm, will now share their technologies for implementation into future devices. Currently, Nokia and LG are among the few major gadget makers selling devices that support wireless charging.
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The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) holds the Rezence brand of wireless magnetic resonance charging. The Power Matters Alliance (PMA), on the other hand, provides wireless charging stations in select Starbucks and McDonald's Stores, as well as an API that can turn individual charging spots into a global charging network.
Under the terms of the agreement, A4WP will adopt PMA's induction specification for multi-mode induction and magnetic resonance implementations. The PMA, for its part, will use A4WP's Rezence charging standard for its transmitters and receivers.
"This announcement delivers a compelling message for the industry to commit and deliver wireless charging devices now," said Kamil Grajski, president of the Alliance for Wireless Power.
However, there's still one major obstacle blocking a universal wireless charging standard from entering the market. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), which includes 200 companies such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Sony, uses the Qi wireless charging standard that isn't compatible with the A4WP's Rezence standard.
Still, that leaves just two competing standards rather than three. If the A4WP and PMA eventually bring the WPC into their alliance, you may be able to finally kiss your charging cables goodbye.
