Qi Standard to Maintain Its Lead in the Wireless Charging Space According to ABI Research
October 06 2015 - 12:27PM
Business Wire
Two wireless charging standards are competing for market share
as the next generation of resonant wireless technologies is nearing
readiness. ABI Research forecasts that through 2020, 713 million Qi
and 213 million Powermat/Rezence chargers will ship, along with a
small number of proprietary technologies.
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), with its Qi standard, leads
shipments today, and ABI Research believes it will maintain its
lead with both its inductive and next-generation resonant modes.
Two other standard bodies recently merged: Power Matters Alliance
(PMA), shipping inductive Powermat chargers, merged with the
Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), which is promoting a next
generation resonant standard branded Rezence. Resonant charging
increases the allowable distance between chargers and devices,
enabling new applications like hiding the charger beneath
furniture.
A number of high profile companies currently invested in the
space, including Samsung, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Microsoft, are
members of both organisations. These companies will help improve
consumer awareness, though some lines are already being drawn.
Other companies will need to send clear signals about their product
support to consumers. For example, some Samsung devices today
support both Powermat and Qi, although ABI Research expects that
Samsung will eventually move to only support Qi in future products.
WPC’s Qi standard has a big lead both in the direct-to-consumer
retail charging pad market, notably in the Samsung Wireless
Charging Pad, and in public charging stations, with thousands of
locations, compared to Powermat’s hundreds. Public charging
stations are viewed as an important driver for expanding consumer
awareness and as a way to highlight the convenience of wireless
charging.
“Early awareness is being driven by the incorporation of
wireless charging capabilities into smartphones, which will account
for around 84% of all wireless charging receivers by the end of
2015,” say Research Analyst Shelli Bernard. “Since many smartphone
OEMs to date have not bundled wireless chargers alongside handsets,
the number of wireless charging-ready devices have outpaced
chargers. As awareness grows and as prices for chargers fall, the
number of chargers per active user should grow, helping to work
towards closing this divide.”
These findings are part of ABI Research’s Consumer Electronics
Enabling Technologies Research Service, which includes Research
Reports, Market Data, Insights, and Competitive Assessments.
ABI Research provides technology market research and technology
intelligence for industry innovators. From offices in North
America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts
advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and
advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit
www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.
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ABI ResearchChristine Gallen,
+44.203.326.0142pr@abiresearch.com