Mobile Wireless Charging Adoption To Soar, Reaching Nearly 40% Of Households By 2020

A new study from Juniper Research has found that wireless charging adoption for mobile devices will increase rapidly in the coming years, with nearly 40% of households in the US and over 20% in Europe using wireless charging by 2020.

The new research, Wireless Charging: Opportunities, Applications & Standards 2015-2020 demonstrates how the technology can provide a springboard for many data services, across a range of sectors, as well as providing more convenient power. However, consumer perceptions of the technology, particularly around its efficiency compared to wired charging, are likely to keep interest in the technology relatively low in the short term.

Charging Infrastructure is Key to Awareness
With more devices now implementing wireless charging (smartphones, tablets, wearables and soon laptops), infrastructure providers are starting to roll out support for the technology, in a way similar to public or customer Wi-Fi. The research notes that this visible infrastructure presence has a key role to play in increasing awareness of the technology, where it can be tried without committing to a purchase.

Wireless Power is More Than Power
One of the biggest areas of potential for wireless charging in the coming years will be the provision of additional data-based services alongside the charging itself. While easing ‘battery anxiety’ is a key appeal of the technology, the easy data exchange will in future enable a variety of over-the-air services through the charging points.

“Wireless charging will ultimately be about more than the power and speed of charge”, remarked research author James Moar. “The ability to pinpoint device location through data exchange enables all kinds of location-based activation functions around the home, the car and in the leisure industry. Industry stakeholders must be ready to leverage this capacity.”

Other key findings include:

• With regulatory and MNO approval, Japan will lead the world in adopting longer-ranged resonance-based charging technologies. In cost-driven markets, induction-based charging will remain predominant for the next 5 years.
• A fifth of all wearable devices will incorporate wireless charging by 2020. This will have a huge impact on the space, permitting diverse designs without physical connectors.

The whitepaper, Wireless Charging – A Surge of Interest, is available to download from the Juniper Research website together with further details of the new research.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.