What is wireless charging?
Wireless charging, also known as wireless power transfer (WPT), is the process of electrically charging battery-powered devices such as laptops, smartphones and electric vehicles without the need for a wired connection.
There are three main forms of wireless charging:
1.Inductive Charging
Uses electromagnetic waves to transfer energy and charge devices wirelessly. Inductive charging requires the device to come in physical contact with a conductive charging pad that is directly connected to electrical power. Inductive wireless charging is the most widely used wireless charging solution.
2.Resonance Charging
Consists of a sending (sender) copper coil and a receiving (receiver) copper coil at the device end. When the sender and receiver are in close proximity and set to the same electromagnetic frequency, electrical energy can be transferred. Resonance charging may also be referred to as over-the-air charging.
3.Radio Charging
Uses radio waves to transfer electricity. In this type of charging, the device sits on a transmitter that uses radio waves to charge the device.
Which are key companies in the wireless charging IC landscape?
Major players in the industry including: MediaTek Inc., Toshiba Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Broadcom Inc., Samsung Electronics, ROHM Semiconductor, IDT, TI, ST, ADI, Qualcomm and others.
The trend of wireless charging technology in smartphones
The consumer electronics sector held a wireless charging IC market share of more than 35% in 2021, owing to increasing demands for smart devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, and game consoles, among others.
Reasons for growing demand
lTechnological advancements and the widespread use of IoT
lRising adoption of wireless charging in smartphones globally
lIncreasing government initiatives to expedite the development of wireless EV charging infrastructure
lRising demand for high performance edge computing solutions in data centers
lRapid increase of wireless charging technology in industrial sector
lGrowing adoption of portable medical devices with wireless charging technology
According to the Mobile Economy report 2022, 75% of the world's population has smartphone connection which is expected to reach 84% by 2025. Additionally, premium smartphone manufacturers, such as Apple, Samsung, and Oppo, among others, are focusing on developing wireless charging-enabled devices, creating growth opportunities for wireless charging IC manufacturers.
