Swedish behemoth IKEA has unveiled some natty new furniture at MWC which boasts a built-in surprise: wireless charging, straight out of the box (once you’ve put it together).
From April, the company will begin selling tables, lamps, bedside tables and desks with Qi wireless charging tech secreted within them, ready for users to just drop their compatible smartphone, like Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy S6, down and forget about it while they get a battery boost.
If you’re unlucky enough to have a phone which doesn’t support the charging standard, like an iPad or iPhone, those canny Swedes will sell you a charging cover which is compatible with your device and we’re fairly sure they won’t cost a fortune either, given the company’s track record.
The furniture will also include a USB port, so you can still plug your smartphone or tablet in, if needs be.
Jeanette Skjelmose, IKEA’s Business Area Manager, Lighting and Wireless Charging had this to say on the company’s new range:
“Through research and home visits, we know that people hate cable mess. They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power. Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler.”
IKEA’s move to incorporate wireless charging is a big one, especially given the fact that there are still competing wireless standards vying for the top of the heap. In choosing Qi though, the furniture giant has made a sensible decision, the tech is well established, has low power demands and, who knows, maybe their choice may well carry with it enough gravity to swing mobile makers towards the Qi standard as the outright winner, instead of its competitors.
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