Wireless power boosted
by new industry standard

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has released the Qi2 standard, which will allow faster charging for smartphones and other gadgets.

The approval of the Qi v. 2.0 Interface Specification by the WPC Board of Directors paves the way for the Qi2 Certification Program, enabling member companies to certify products as compatible with the standard.

According to a new report released this week, Wireless Charging Market by Technology and Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2023-2030, the wireless charging market was valued at $18.21-billion in 2022, and is predicted to reach $71.47-billion by 2030.

Rise in adoption of wireless technology in consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, and wearable devices, drives growth of the market. Moreover, increase in government initiatives to introduce vehicles with low carbon emissions to protect the environment and human health further propels demand for wireless charging.

For instance, in March 2022, the U.S. state of Washington passed a bill that stated all vehicles sold, purchased, or registered in Washington State from 2030 shall be EVs. Hence, governments are introducing wireless chargers for safer, convenient, and faster charging systems.

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced its intention to release the new standard at CES 2023, where it received three Best of Show awards from popular tech media publications. Now formally released, the new standard will unify the industry under one global standard and provide consumers with enhanced convenience and efficiency for mobile devices and wearables.

The Qi2 (pronounced ‘chee two’) standard will replace its predecessor, Qi, in a rapidly expanding market where about one billion devices – transmitters and receivers – will be sold worldwide in 2023. Qi will provide consumers with more energy efficient and faster charging of their smartphones and other portable electronic devices. The standard will also further expand the wireless charging market by opening the market to new accessories that wouldn’t be chargeable using current flat surface-to-flat surface devices.

“Consumers everywhere are looking for more energy efficient and sustainable products,” said WPC Executive Director, Paul Struhsaker. “Qi2’s perfect alignment improves energy efficiency by reducing the energy loss that can happen when the phone and the charger are not aligned. And Qi2 will reduce the landfill waste associated with wired charger replacement due to plugs breaking and the stress placed on cords from daily use. “

The WPC is now completing the steps in Quality Assurance, Certification Testing and Product Registration necessary to assure consumers that Qi2 Certified devices meet the WPC’s rigorous standards for efficiency, safety, and interoperability. Qi2 products are expected to begin to appear in market in time for the 2023 year-end holiday season.