ConvenientPower debuts wireless charging world first

Officially revealed at the Computex Conference on Tuesday, the ConvenientPower WoW5 is the first wireless charging pad that can simultaneously charge five devices.

WoW5-Simultaneously-Charging-Five-Smartphones-Photo-AFP

Officially revealed at the Computex Conference on Tuesday, the ConvenientPower WoW5 is the first wireless charging pad that can simultaneously charge five devices.

That in itself is quite an achievement, but what makes it stand out against other charging pads is that it has no dead spots. As long as a device is in contact with the pad, it will charge properly (usually a device has to be placed on a charging plate with pinpoint accuracy in order for the charge to be delivered).

The pad's size means that as well as being able to top up the power on every family member's phone, it can just as easily charge two tablets or a notebook if it supports the QI wireless charging standard. However, to begin with at least, ConvenientPower hopes that the pad will be adopted by cafes, restaurants and hotels as a way of offering mulitple customers a simple way of charging their phones and tablets.

Wireless charging (also known as induction charging) should already be one of the 'next big things' in consumer technology, but thus far it is failing to take hold as quickly as its supporters would like. This is partly due to the fact that although most major smartphone and tablet manufacturers support the technology (with the notable exception of Apple), there are currently two, competing technological standards: the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) 'Power 2.0' standard (championed by Google and Starbucks among others) and the much more well-established QI standard supported by the Wireless Power Consortium, whose 140 members include Samsung and Nokia.

With wireless charging plates fitted to tables and desks at home, in the office and at cafes, restaurants and airport terminals, consumers can keep their devices constantly charged up simply by placing them on the table. Around the home, charging plates fitted to kitchen counters and within media and television stands could remove the need for power sockets and plugs. Imagine being able to simply place a Kenwood Chef mixer or coffee machine on a kitchen work surface for it to start working. Or how about a TV remote control that automatically wirelessly charges every time it is placed on top of the TV? All of these technologies and solutions exist, waiting for widespread adoption.

IMS Research's figures show that 5 million devices that support the technology will be sold this year but the company's forecasts on the subject suggest this number will jump to 100 million devices by the end of 2015.

And for those consumers committed to Apple's iOS and OSX device ecosystems that don't want to be left behind when this technology takes hold, don't worry. As well as the WoW5, ConvenientPower also makes a range of Apple-endorsed wirelss charging cases for the iPhone that support the QI standard.