Motorola claims it has the world's first mobile phone with wireless charging

Motorola claims it has the world's first mobile phone with wireless charging

Motorola has made a name for itself with budget smartphones, but that doesn't mean that its smartphone lineup won't include high-end features in the future. To that end, the Lenovo-owned phone maker is partnering with GuRu Wireless, a company that really specializes in wireless power delivery.

Yes, that means Motorola plans to make some of its future phones compatible with OTA charging, in which case the phones will be able to refill their batteries without the need for wiring or charging pads. Motorola has even declared that it will develop the first cell phone capable of OTA charging.

The technology itself is very interesting and we had the opportunity to speak with Florian Bourne, CEO of GuRu. The dream of a wireless life has captivated many, but so far we have yet to see a system that lives up to its hype and potential, and GuRu has withstood this wave of interest by focusing on developing a solution so good that Motorola chose to partner with them.

This wireless power solution uses millimeter wave technology in the 24 GHz band to power compatible devices. Current cell phones may have Qi coils for wireless charging pads, but they cannot accept power from GuRu's power generation unit. This process would require a separate module in the phone itself.

The speed depends on the type of device receiving the power; according to Bohn, a cell phone might get 5-10W of power. By today's wired charging standards, that certainly seems slow. But true wireless wireless charging of 5-10W sounds pretty amazing when you consider that you can charge a cell phone from anywhere in the room.

Future advances may make faster speeds possible, but that is too far off.

GuRu's OTA charging technology looks for the best path to your device, often bouncing off walls and such. For example, placing your phone on top of a metal box will not charge it.

You might expect a range like Wi-Fi, where the effect decreases the further away from the source; GuRu's Bohn explained that OTA charging uses what he calls RF Lensing. This technology focuses like a lens and extends the range beyond conventional understanding. It took me a while to figure this out, but I have learned that this OTA charging technique is more effective the further away from the generator you are.

Operating in the 24 GHz band means that there is no interference with OTA charging. Regarding health considerations, Bohn stated that the technology is safe for humans and is currently going through the regulatory process (including health testing).

In short, we are approaching a truly wireless future, and GuRu is understandably excited about their technology and believes it will become as popular as Wi-Fi down the road.

But what about Motorola? we don't know much about the company's plans beyond partnering with GuRu and implementing this technology in future devices. We also do not know the official timeline, but we may see Motorola phones with GuRu modules in the next few years. Keep in mind that designing a smartphone takes longer than you might imagine, and this is a new technology.

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