Earlier today, we told you about Qualcomm’s interest in wireless charging standards. The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), which Qualcomm helped found, is attempting to bring two disparate wireless charging standards in line. It seems that Samsung, with their recent $4 million investment in a company named PowerbyProxi, may be helping them out — or squeezing the little guy out.
That “little guy” is the newly formed PMA, or Power Matters Alliance. While their charging method relies on radio waves to create a type of power field, the World Power Alliance (WPA) operates on Qi charging, which is fairly standard right now. The goal for the A4WP is to bring Qi charging with spacial freedom, as shown in the video below.
While the PMA has some strong backers in the form of Proctor & Gamble and Powermat technologies, their lack of support from mobile OEMs and carriers may prove their downfall. As Qi charging gets a bit more ubiquitous and integral, the disparate technology offered by the PMA could find difficulty gaining traction. While their technology offers data transfer as well as charging, it has found difficulty catching on.
The need consumers have is for a single standard, not three disparate governing bodies. While Qi and PMA technology both rely on inductive charging, the technology behind the Qi falls in line with the desires of the A4WP. With such a strong group of mobile technology giants backing the A4WP, it seems as though it’s now open season on wireless charging advocates and detractors alike.
