Energous CEO makes tenuous reference to future iPhone as leading platform for wireless cha...
Wireless charging company Energous has declared at the Consumer Electronics Show that its first wireless transmitters will ship before the end of 2017, and be embedded in "one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world."
"I cannot tell you who it is," Energous CEO Steve Rizzone told The Verge. "But, I can virtually guarantee that you have products from this company on your person, sitting on your desk, or at home."
The company claims that it will demonstrate a wireless charger with a range of up to 18 feet, as well as a charging pad.
In December, Energous inked a deal to develop and market hardware components through longtime Apple chip supplier Dialog Semiconductor, suggesting a future iPhone might support similar technology.
Apple is Dialog's biggest consumer electronics contract, and is believed to account for more than 70 percent of the firm's revenues. Further, Energous in a recent quarterly conference call said "most, if not all, of Energous' early adopters are existing Dialog customers."
Under the deal's terms, Dialog is investing $10 million in Energous to become the firm's exclusive component supplier. For Energous, the partnership grants access to Dialog's sales and distribution channels
Energous has previously cranked up the rumor mill itself, however. In March 2015, the company revealed a development and licensing agreement with a "tier one" consumer electronics company, and name-checked Apple in a regulatory filing.
Energous was last at CES in 2015, and claimed that it would be shipping before the end of that year, as well.
Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup, said to be called either the "iPhone 7S" or 'iPhone 8," or both, are rumored to be incorporating some form of wireless charging technology.
"I cannot tell you who it is," Energous CEO Steve Rizzone told The Verge. "But, I can virtually guarantee that you have products from this company on your person, sitting on your desk, or at home."
The company claims that it will demonstrate a wireless charger with a range of up to 18 feet, as well as a charging pad.
In December, Energous inked a deal to develop and market hardware components through longtime Apple chip supplier Dialog Semiconductor, suggesting a future iPhone might support similar technology.
Apple is Dialog's biggest consumer electronics contract, and is believed to account for more than 70 percent of the firm's revenues. Further, Energous in a recent quarterly conference call said "most, if not all, of Energous' early adopters are existing Dialog customers."
Under the deal's terms, Dialog is investing $10 million in Energous to become the firm's exclusive component supplier. For Energous, the partnership grants access to Dialog's sales and distribution channels
Energous has previously cranked up the rumor mill itself, however. In March 2015, the company revealed a development and licensing agreement with a "tier one" consumer electronics company, and name-checked Apple in a regulatory filing.
Energous was last at CES in 2015, and claimed that it would be shipping before the end of that year, as well.
Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup, said to be called either the "iPhone 7S" or 'iPhone 8," or both, are rumored to be incorporating some form of wireless charging technology.
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"Our charging mat is made by Hermes," will not be a selling point.
"Hide this charger in your nightstand, and your iPhone will charge from anywhere within 20 feet," is sexy as hell.
I already have the keynote script:
Similar to Jobs' putting the iBook through a hula-hoop to prove wirelessly connectivity, Cook will walk up, pull out the iPhone, hold it in his hand. On the screen behind him is a mirrored feed of his iPhone. In the upper-right corner of the display we'll all see the battery icon; however, it'll be green and next to it will be a lightning bolt icon.
"Yes, my iPhone is currently charging."
Standing ovation.
Apple will release an iPhone charging mat accessory for cars and desktop use in 2017. In 2018 Apple will release one that works with all their laptops and desktops to charge iOS devices a few feet away. Then in 2019 we'll get the 15 foot wireless charging for homes and businesses. It's so obvious.
Apple doesn't have to rush the best version to market for the next few years because they have exclusivity relationship with Energous.
"Each hub ($200-300 each!!) has a 15-foot charging radius from its core, so if you have a device in the center of a room, that means it has a 30-foot charging distance from end-to-end. Depending on how much power you’d like to give off at one time, these hubs can charge up to 24 devices at once. Energous has also partnered up with various companies to create receiver cases to place on your mobile devices that enables them to charge wirelessly...
...Energous says they plan on making consumer-ready products available sometime around the end of 2015, but most products won’t hit the market until sometime in 2016."
Then from CES 2016:
"The new device that the company (Energous) has been showing off is a simple looking USB dongle, which features Energous’ new small form factor and lower cost RF charging IC. The chip measures just 3 x 3 mm, meaning that it is perfectly suitable for wearables. However, Energous still doesn’t have any products on the shelves yet, so it has housed the IC in a USB dongle that can connect up to other wearable charging ports. Energous demonstrated the chip charging a Fitbit, a Bluetooth headset and a LED light system at around 6-inches away from the charging hub. At this distance, the chip still managed to provide the same amount of power as their respective wired chargers do. Furthermore, a USB solution like this shouldn’t add a notable cost over a regular charging dock. The company has been sending evaluation units out and also has a contract with a “tier one” manufacturer (meant to imply Apple), but can’t reveal much more than that. The company is to produce millions of chips and transmitters for the unspecified device, which will launch around the end of the year."
And now this year at CES:
"At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company announced partnerships with a Bluetooth speaker company, a hearing aid manufacturer, and a touch and pen firm, and more.
“Having our partners unveil the first of many WattUp-enabled products is a huge milestone in our vision of creating a strong ecosystem for wireless charging,” Energous president and CEO Stephen R. Rizzone said in a press release. “Working with these innovative and agile partners enables us to take that first step into shifting the entire paradigm of how we use, charge, and manage devices today. We are grateful to these early partners for pioneering the future with us and look forward to additional growth in commercially available WattUp-enabled products throughout 2017.”
why apple doesn't buy the company Considering the Apple Watch and any other wearable they make will use this tech.
From the crowd:
'Of course it's charging... it's plugged in'.
Maybe Apple's obsession with thinness at the cost of battery is because they envision a future where your devices get a little trickle charge most places you go, extending your battery indefinitely.
Eventually, I would guess Apple wants this to be mainstream and accessible everywhere, much like wifi. I'm sure they'll have an exclusive on it for a while, but eventually having a third party offer it to the masses is the way to go. The chip manufacturer partnering with Energous for production would be my guess as a company who would acquire them.
Add other features to homeKit lights as well would be cool. Siri Globe with satellite speaker globes maybe.