Wireless charging was discussed in regards to the GALAXY S 4 prior to the announcement event, however we didn’t hear all that much on the night of. Not to mention, we haven’t heard much since. That thought can be put to the side though as the Wireless Power Consortium has come forward to clear things up. Simply put, yes, the GALAXY S 4 has support for wireless charging.
Specifically, the GALAXY S 4 will support the Qi Wireless Charging system. The key here, most GALAXY S 4 users will likely never take advantage of this feature because it will only be supported with an optional back battery cover and charging pad. Basically, if you want to wirelessly charge your GALAXY S 4 you will need to buy the replacement back cover and charging pad.
We haven’t seen any pricing just yet, however previous wireless charging system price points are the exact reason why we believe few users will take advantage. The nice part here is that the GALAXY S 4 uses the Qi system which means there may be additional support in the future given this seems to be a standard that is being adopted.
For example, select McDonald’s restaurants in Europe are now testing the system with Qi-enabled tables. We have also seen Toyota announce that the 2013 Avalon Limited will include an integrated Qi system in the center console. While these are just two limited examples, we do hope to see this pick up traction. Otherwise, it was noted that the collection of Qi products now includes more than 170 products and so far, they are the only wireless power solution that has direct integration in both flagship smartphones and automobiles.
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