Xiaomi on Twitter today unveiled its new “remote charging technology” called Mi Air Charge. According to the company, it can charge multiple wireless devices simultaneously without connecting any cables or placing its devices on a wireless charging cradle.
We are pleased to introduce you to the remote charging technology – Mi Air Charge Technology! Charge multiple devices simultaneously while playing, walking or even when something is in the way, with no strings attached. Another giant leap in wireless charging technology! pic.twitter.com/wEoB10wOQ2
– Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) January 29, 2021
This type of remote charging has been promoted for years, but no company has ever successfully marketed it. Xiaomi is well aware of charging innovation, having introduced 80 W wireless charging and 120 W corded charging, but its previous advances were more incremental than revolutionary. If the company succeeds in turning this into something more than just a demonstration of technology – and that’s exactly according to Xiaomi Product PR spokeswoman Agatha Tang – then it will be one of those revolutionary technologies that change the way we use our devices.
So, how exactly does this work? The company shared some details about its new Mi Air Charge technology on its official blog. According to the company, this technology is capable of delivering 5W of power to a single device at a distance of a few meters from the “self-developed isolated charging cell”. This charging cell has 5 phase interference antennas to accurately determine the position of your mobile device. After determining the position, a phase control matrix composed of 144 antennas transmits millimeter waves directionally through the beam formation. The receiving device has a miniaturized antenna array with a built-in “beacon antenna” and a “receiving antenna array”. The former transmits the position information, while the latter is an array of 14 antennas that converts the millimeter wave signal into electrical energy through the rectifier circuit.
The company confirmed that Mi Air Charge is just a technical demonstration at this stage, so it is unclear whether the company will be able to overcome the implementation and structural problems faced by other vendors who have shown contactless wireless charging prototypes. There are also health concerns and there is no doubt that, if this technology reaches the market, it will be scrutinized by regulatory authorities.
If Xiaomi is successful, this technology will be a game changer for smart home products. Many companies have tried to make remote charging systems in the past, so it will be interesting to see if Xiaomi will be the first to succeed.
This article was updated once at 10:28 PM ET to add more details shared by Xiaomi in its official press release. The article was updated again at 11:23 pm ET to add confirmation from a Xiaomi spokesman that this technology is just a technical demonstration.