Xiaomi has unveiled today its “Mi Air Charging Technology”, which is capable of charging wireless devices from a room with 5W power supply.
Mi Air Charge technology offers a “true wireless charging” solution, without cables or supports. The devices are remotely charged with 5W of power, through advanced spatial positioning and a beam-shaped power transmission.
Xiaomi has developed an isolated charging battery unit with five-phase interference antennas, which can accurately detect the location of a smartphone. A phase control array with 144 antennas then transmits millimeter-wide waves directly to the phone by forming beams.
For smartphones, Xiaomi has developed a corresponding miniaturized antenna array with a “headlight antenna” and a “receiver antenna array.” The beacon antenna emits low power position information, while the array of receiving antennas uses 14 antennas to convert the millimeter wave signal emitted by the charging battery directly into electrical energy through a rectifier circuit.
Remote charging technology is capable of charging multiple devices within a radius of several meters, and each device can receive 5W of power. Xiaomi also notes that physical objects placed between the charging battery and the device do not reduce charging efficiency.
Xiaomi says it wants to expand the technology to smart watches, wristbands and other laptops, as well as smart home speakers, desk lamps and more in the future. It’s unclear to what extent Xiaomi is bringing Mi Air charging technology and charging battery to the consumer market, but today’s revelation may suggest that it’s sooner rather than later.
The announcement indicates that progress in remote wireless charging technology in the industry is constantly evolving. Several years ago, it was rumored that Apple partnered with Energous to offer its own remote wireless charging solution. It is believed that Apple is still researching new wireless charging technologies and with the arrival of MagSafe on the iPhone 12 models, the company is clearly interested in new ways to power devices.