Xiaomi today announced its remote charging technology -- the Mi Air Charge. This is the company"s take on true "wireless" charging as it does not require one to place their phone on a charging pad.
Mi Air Charge"s core technology is based on space positioning and energy transmissions. Xiaomi says it has developed an isolated charging pile with five phase interference antennas that can detect the location of a smartphone. Then, another phase control array comprising of 144 antennas transmit millimeter-wide waves to the phone via beamforming for charging it.
For remote charging to work on the smartphone side, Xiaomi developed a miniaturized antenna array with "beacon antenna" and "receiving antenna array." The latter converts the millimeter-wide waves into electric energy which in turn charges the phone.
Skipping all the jargon, Mi Air Charge technology in its current iteration will allow for 5W remote charging for one device within a radius of "several meters." Xiaomi also notes that multiple devices can also be charged at up to 5W speeds and that physical objects do not reduce the charging efficiency. One just needs to have the Mi Air charge hub in their home and a compatible device for remote charging to work.
Xiaomi is also working on bringing its remote charging technology to smartwatches, speakers, desk lamps, and other smart home products. A Xiaomi executive has confirmed that Mi Air Charge is a tech demo and it won"t be rolling out to consumer products this year.