Kyle
To say wireless charging is confusing to the average consumer is a massive understatement. A myriad of competing standards – Qi and tech from the Power Matters Alliance, for example – make picking out power docks compatible with your smartphone generally unpleasant. Even worse? When the time to upgrade your handset comes, you may be stuck with an incompatible dock and have to settle with a plug-in adapter dongle. Annoying.
Thankfully, Broadcom thinks it has the answer to that particular problem. The company has developed a new wireless power receiver, the BCM59350, that is compatible with every wireless charging technology on the market. No more having to worry about whether your charging plate is Qi-compatible or not – if your device contains the chip, it’ll charge regardless.
The new chip also features 7.5W support versus the standard 5W, which Broadcom says can help devices charge even when they’re further away from a power source. The higher voltage should also translate to faster charging times.
The company was rather coy on the subject of manufacturing partners. However, Broadcom said test samples have gone out to a select few parties. Cooperation between consortiums is the only way to truly alleviate the problem of competing standards, but the new chip seems like a good interim solution.
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