Xiaomi has introduced the new Mi Air charger technology in January 2021. According to the company “Remote charging technology” is able to charge multiple devices at the same time.
It will also recharge a smartphone that’s being in use, “while walking around or even when something’s in the way”.
The company outlines how the technology works in a blog post. The transmitter seems to be pretty big.
According to Xiaomi:
“Xiaomi’s self-developed isolated charging pile has five phase interference antennas built-in, which can accurately detect the location of the smartphone. A phase control array composed of 14 antennas transmits millimeter-wide waves directly to the phone through beamforming”.
It is almost as big as a room side-table 5W charge wirelessly to a smartphone can be provided by the transmitter.
How Xiaomi Mi Air charger works?
This system is different from the Qi charging standard. Smartphones need to be equipped with the required functionalities to utilize wireless charging. There should be a “miniaturized antenna array” with a built-in ‘beacon antenna’ and ‘receiving antenna array’.
The smartphone has 14 antennas to convert a millimeter-wave signal that emits from the charging pile. Through a rectifier circuit, it converts the signal into electric energy.
Xiaomi tells:
Soon our living room devices, including speakers, desk lamps, and other small smart home products, will all be built upon a wireless power supply design, completely free of wires, making our living rooms truly wireless.
Xiaomi remote charging technology in its current state can charge multiple devices with a 5W current within a radius of “several meters”.
“Physical objects don’t reduce the charging efficiency, but this must have some caveats”. Claims Xiaomi.
The release date is not confirmed yet for the Mi Air Charge system. Also, it’s not clear if such technology would ever make it to the consumer market.
One thing is clear for sure that the device is going to be expensive no matter when it arrives.
End-users seem excited about this new technology. We are excited to see such devices in the market.