Forget Cables, charging stands, and wireless chargers. How many times have we heard the same slogan again and again? But really, has there been any major development? Last we checked, there were quite a few phones with wireless charging capability, and that was it. At the same time, some technology companies might still be trying their luck with wireless charging. Xiaomi just came up with Air Charge Technology, and we can’t wait to unbox it for you.
Before we dive right into air charging, let’s examine wireless charging first, which essentially means that you no longer need to plug in a cable to charge your smartphone. In fact, you can place it on a special mat or a tabletop, and you’re good to go. Just make sure that your smartphone supports wireless charging.
What is Air Charge Technology?
According to Xiaomi, the Mi Air Charge technology enables you to charge your electronic devices remotely without any cables or charging stands. For instance, you’re walking into work, and your phone starts charging automatically. Cool, isn’t it?
How does it work?
The core technology behind Xiamoi’s remote charging phenomenon lies in space positioning and energy transmission. Sounds too complicated, right? Let’s take it this way, Xiaomi has a self-developed isolated charging pile, more like a set of interference antennas. Which can accurately detect the location of your smartphone.
If your smartphone comes in contact with the said charging pile, it transmits millimeter wide waves through beamforming. Beamforming essentially allows an antenna to transmit a wireless signal from one location to a specific endpoint (in this case your device) instead of aimlessly and inefficiently around an area.
So we know how the charging pile emits waves, but is there anything on the smartphone side? According to Xiaomi, it has developed an antenna array comprising a ‘beacon antenna’ and ‘receiving antennas.’ These antennas convert the millimeter-wave signal emitted by the charging pile into electric energy through the rectifier circuit, which is basically turning the sc-fi charging experience into reality.
Currently, Xiaomi remote charging technology is capable of 5-watt remote charging for a single device within a radius of several meters. Apart from that, multiple devices can also be charged at the same time (each device supports 5 watts), and even physical obstacles do not reduce the charging efficiency.
Xiaomi Team
Is it any better?
Is Mi Air Charge similar to wireless charging, and if no, is it any better? The fundamental difference between Mi Air Charge and wireless charging is that it doesn’t require any wireless charging stand or charging pads. So that’s a plus, but on the contrary, the max it goes up to us is 5-watt compared to a 12.5-watt or 18-watt charging.
It seems like a trade-off, though, whether you can charge your devices remotely or you can go with conventional fast chargers. And at the end of the day, it’s about your own convenience. Another concern might be your health.
Is Mi Air Charge harmful to health?
This is a fairly legitimate concern and we know how cell phones can be a health hazard. But Mi Air Charge might be a healthy charging alternative. Since it’s based on millimeter wide waves, it emits non-ionizing radiation and with longer wavelengths, it possibly does not have the energy to damage the cells directly.
Wire-Free living rooms
Now that Air Charge technology is already out, Xiaomi has some magnanimous plans. For starters, it aims to enable all types of electronic gadgets with remote charging ability, and secondly, it wants to make living rooms wire-free. So if all goes well, your table lamps, speakers, innovative home products, everything can be remotely charged, and that would be a step in the right direction.
Is it too early to get excited?
As per the Chinese tech giant, it’s a ‘revolution’ and maybe the beginning of a ‘True Wireless Charging’ era. Is it, though? As of today, we don’t really know which devices will have ‘specific antennas’ to recieve millimeter waves from the charging device. Similarly, Xiaomi hasn’t specified whether this technology is for phones, wearables, or smart home appliances. In fact, mass production hasn’t started yet. So we don’t know when it is going to hit the consumer market and at what price. It seems like it’s better to wait for more details before we can make a switch.
