Perhaps the smartphone market will see a breakthrough soon, this time related to battery charging. There is a good chance that Motorola will do it.

Over-the-Air wireless charging

A few months ago, the announcement of work on the Mi Air Charge, which we wrote about, was widely echoed. It was already certain that not only Xiaomi was working on a similar solution, but also Motorola, among others. Last week, it signed an agreement with GuRu Wireless, Inc. It is one of the leaders of configurable wireless power solutions, and the purpose of cooperation, in this case, is very clearly defined. This is the provision of Over-the-Air charging in new smartphones, of course, those with the Motorola logo.

“At Motorola, we’re constantly working to bring innovation to the market that can improve the quality of life for consumers. Thanks to this solution, we will provide a sense of freedom and flexibility that users can enjoy thanks to the revolutionary Over-the-Air wireless charging technology. In collaboration with GuRu, we are seeing an exciting new generation of wireless powered devices. ” – Dan Dery, Motorola vice president of product

A few meters from the power source

For now, Motorola and GuRu focus not on the technical aspects of the solution being prepared, but on the benefits, it will bring to users. These are quite obvious, Over-the-Air wireless charging is something that fits well with the ever-faster pace of life, another step after the already widespread inductive charging. In this case, the need for physical contact between the smartphone and the power source will be eliminated, the only limitation will be the range, Xiaomi says a few meters, Motorola does not specify it yet.

“Innovation has always been part of Motorola’s DNA. The company has long enriched our lives with an ecosystem of intelligent devices and solutions. We are delighted to be able to join forces with an industry leader dedicated to improving the consumer experience. ” – Florian Bohn, CEO, and co-founder of GuRu

It is too early for specific dates regarding when the discussed solution will be ready and will start appearing in new smartphones. In the coming months, however, the manufacturer is to provide more information on the progress of work. At the moment, it seems that Motorola and Xiaomi are the closest to the goal.

How GuRu’s Remote Wireless Charging Works

On GuRu’s website, the company says that it uses “Smart Sensing” technology that “enables the use of focused energy beams for highly efficient power transfer.” These energy beams can be transmitted through a variety of form factors, including desktop power stations, remote ones that can move throughout a house, and even permanent fixtures that users can install in the ceiling.

Motorola will likely focus on selling desktop hubs for users to charge the phone, but GuRu has clearly thought of a few different ways to use the technology. Charging speeds are expected to be between 5 and 10W, which are typical charging speeds for existing wireless chargers.

It’ll likely be a few more years before remote wireless charging is as ubiquitous as existing charging methods, but even so, it’s exciting that Motorola is already talking about it. It’s a feature that people have been dreaming about for the iPhone and other devices for years.

Have a phone running low? Walk over to the nearest power station and it starts charging just like that. It remains to be seen how well GuRu’s tech actually plays out in Motorola’s smartphones, and fingers crossed those future phones aren’t too much further out.