Apple acquires wireless charging specialist PowerbyProxi
Apple on Wednesday local time announced the purchase of PowerbyProxi, a small New Zealand-based firm specializing in wireless charging technologies based on the Qi wireless standard.
In a rare comment confirming the acquisition, Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio said the "team will be a great addition as Apple works to create a wireless future," reports local publication Stuff.
"We want to bring truly effortless charging to more places and more customers around the world," Riccio added.
Founded by Auckland entrepreneur Fady Mishriki in 2007, PowerbyProxi is a spin-off of a University of Auckland project that has garnered international recognition for the development of wireless charging systems based on the Wireless Power Consortium's future Qi wireless standard.
Headlining the company's product offering is the Proxi-Module platform, a modular wireless power and data transfer system designed for high-power applications. Using a 65mm power coil operating at 91 percent efficiency, the hardware can deliver 100 watts of power to drones, warehouse robots, medical equipment and other battery-powered machinery. A waterproof, modular chassis design allows for flexible docking solutions, while internal circuitry supports foreign object detection, dynamic pairing and other advanced features.
PowerbyProxi also markets Proxi-Com, an add-on unit that integrates with Proxi-Module to convert wired data signals like CAN bus, Ethernet and GPIO to wireless.
Whether Apple will allow the company to continue sales is unknown. Hardware companies purchased by Apple usually cease production as the team is brought in to work on in-house initiatives, but there are exceptions. Beats, for example, continues to operate as its own brand after Apple bought the audio company in 2014 for $3 billion. More recently, Beddit was allowed to maintain sales through the Apple store as Apple collected data from users of the eponymous sleep tracking monitor.
Apple just recently introduced wireless charging to its smartphone lineup with the launch of iPhone 8 and iPhone X. While previous Apple-branded inductive solutions, namely those used in Apple Watch, relied on in-house standards, the latest iPhones use technology based on Qi.
Currently, iPhone 8 models can be charged by third-party pads, but transfer power is limited to 5 watts. Apple intends to improve charge speeds via a firmware update later this year, perhaps boosting capacity to the 7.5 watts supported by Apple-recommended Belkin and Mophie models.
At its annual iPhone event in September, Apple debuted a charging mat called AirPower, which promises to simultaneously juice up an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Total wattage is unknown, but the device is expected to output more power than conventional one-device pads.
Apple's acquisition of PowerbyProxi suggests the company is working on high-power solutions for larger devices like iPad and Mac. An inductive charger capable of outputting a continuous 100-watt stream could replace Apple's largest 87-watt wall adapter for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. That said, Apple is unlikely to have an inductive MacBook charger ready for purchase anytime soon, as the PowerbyProxi module is in its current state too large to retrofit into the laptop's svelte chassis.
In a rare comment confirming the acquisition, Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio said the "team will be a great addition as Apple works to create a wireless future," reports local publication Stuff.
"We want to bring truly effortless charging to more places and more customers around the world," Riccio added.
Founded by Auckland entrepreneur Fady Mishriki in 2007, PowerbyProxi is a spin-off of a University of Auckland project that has garnered international recognition for the development of wireless charging systems based on the Wireless Power Consortium's future Qi wireless standard.
Headlining the company's product offering is the Proxi-Module platform, a modular wireless power and data transfer system designed for high-power applications. Using a 65mm power coil operating at 91 percent efficiency, the hardware can deliver 100 watts of power to drones, warehouse robots, medical equipment and other battery-powered machinery. A waterproof, modular chassis design allows for flexible docking solutions, while internal circuitry supports foreign object detection, dynamic pairing and other advanced features.
PowerbyProxi also markets Proxi-Com, an add-on unit that integrates with Proxi-Module to convert wired data signals like CAN bus, Ethernet and GPIO to wireless.
Whether Apple will allow the company to continue sales is unknown. Hardware companies purchased by Apple usually cease production as the team is brought in to work on in-house initiatives, but there are exceptions. Beats, for example, continues to operate as its own brand after Apple bought the audio company in 2014 for $3 billion. More recently, Beddit was allowed to maintain sales through the Apple store as Apple collected data from users of the eponymous sleep tracking monitor.
Apple just recently introduced wireless charging to its smartphone lineup with the launch of iPhone 8 and iPhone X. While previous Apple-branded inductive solutions, namely those used in Apple Watch, relied on in-house standards, the latest iPhones use technology based on Qi.
Currently, iPhone 8 models can be charged by third-party pads, but transfer power is limited to 5 watts. Apple intends to improve charge speeds via a firmware update later this year, perhaps boosting capacity to the 7.5 watts supported by Apple-recommended Belkin and Mophie models.
At its annual iPhone event in September, Apple debuted a charging mat called AirPower, which promises to simultaneously juice up an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Total wattage is unknown, but the device is expected to output more power than conventional one-device pads.
Apple's acquisition of PowerbyProxi suggests the company is working on high-power solutions for larger devices like iPad and Mac. An inductive charger capable of outputting a continuous 100-watt stream could replace Apple's largest 87-watt wall adapter for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. That said, Apple is unlikely to have an inductive MacBook charger ready for purchase anytime soon, as the PowerbyProxi module is in its current state too large to retrofit into the laptop's svelte chassis.
Comments
In the interim, Apple getting more involved with Qi simply means more companies are going to support the tech. Qi pads are going to be everywhere.
Wireless charging tables for iDevices and new Qi MacBooks!
Today at Apple events. Apple gathering spots.
Starbucks Gift cards with Apple purchases. ApplePay rewards.
Finally the Apple Cafes Steve Jobs wanted... in every city.
This would be a repeat of the Beats deal. Won’t make sense until it does.
Ya, there's not a single phone made that has Wireless Charging!!! They are all Inductive Charging. The same type of thing that my Electric Tooth Brush charges by. It's not the Qi standard, but it is Inductive Charging. The tooth brush sits on a base and that base is plugged into the wall. There's no physical electrical connection to the Tooth Brush. Sits on a base and is charged by a coil.
I don't give a crap about Inductive Charging. It's OLD TECH. I don't see what the big deal is. It's more Energy efficient to just plug it into a cheap cable then a $40+ charging pad that's still plugged into the wall. I dock my iPhone next to my bed every night and that's pretty darn fast.
When I can walk around a room and not have to even get out my phone and it's charging. That's Wireless Charging. If I can place my phone anywhere in my house. Toss it onto the sofa. Throw in on a table. Doesn't matter, there's no mat under it and it charges, THAT is wireless charging. If I can pick up my phone and answer the call, or check my messages and the phone is still charging. THAT is wireless charging. You can't do any of that with FAKE Wireless charging, which is really just Inductive Charging. I don't care if it's from Samesung, or Apple, I could care less about Inductive Charging.
When there's a phone with real wireless charging, I'll be first in line for it.
Don’t hold your breath. Nikolai Tesla experimented with transmitting power through the air almost a hundred years ago and it wasn’t a picnic. The high frequency alternating current needed to accomplish this feat is tricky at best. The higher the frequency the shorter the range. And then there’s the potential for affecting living cells. Think microwaves. I know, I know, it will be extremely low power so theoretically it should be okay. Tell that to the lawyers.
you’re talking about over the air charging. So far, that’s proving very difficult. They’re talking about directional charging, which is like the latest WiFi, where the router can beam the signal directly to the device rather than almost all over, wastefully. Some people are worried about strongly focused radio power signals.
Convenience is the order of the day on this feature.
Qi is wireless. You may not the distance currently available with inductive charring standards, but it's undeniably wireless power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uQUgq5k6N8
If you mean AirPower, then it does remind of it, but can devices be placed anywhere on the AirPower pad? I thought it had 3 distinct regions and could only support 3 devices. PowerbyProxi's solution, assuming it's different, is much better for reasons they mention in the video plus being even being less of a hassle for the user.
Unfortunately we may not get absolute word until next year when it launches, but we're still a bit in the dark on which 3rd-party Qi charging pads. When I was in the Apple Store to purchase my Series 3 Watch they had a 3rd-party Qi charging pad on the setup table but the Apple employee informed me it only works with the iPhone 8, and not the Series 3 Watch.