Wireless chargers aren’t all that new anymore. They’ve been around on high-end Android and Windows Phone devices for several years but are still relatively obscure. The system allows you to cut the cord from your phone, making it easier to top up the battery.
Current wireless charging pads all have a pretty major flaw though. Wireless charging is a far less efficient process than using a cable so charging speeds can be significantly longer. If you need to charge your phone in a hurry, it may be most convenient to place it on the pad but in practice reaching for the cable would probably serve you best.
LG subsidiary Innotek has been trying to solve this problem, today unveiling a wireless charging pad capable of half-charging a phone in only 30 minutes. For comparison, the fastest Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 cabled solutions can charge to around 80 percent in the same time.
There’s still a significant performance penalty in charging wirelessly but it isn’t as major as with current pads. LG Innotek has managed to increase the speed by boosting the output power of its charger to 15W, up from 5W on a typical wireless charger today.
“The development of the 15-watt wireless charging module is a success achieved through our active response to the needs of the customers and changes in the market,” said Gil-Sang Park, header of LG Innotek’s Automotive Components & Electronics laboratory. “We will continue to provide convenient, safe, and pleasant user experiences by concentrating all our resources on the creation of customer values.”
New technologies often require you to upgrade your device to take advantage of the improvements. This isn’t the case this time as LG Innotek’s charger already meets the standards of the World Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and AirFuel Alliance so it will work with most existing smartphones capable of wirelessly charging. You’ll only need to replace your wireless charging pad to start benefiting from the increase in speed.
Unfortunately, no pads fitted with the new technology are currently on the market. LG Innotek said it expects to begin mass production of the 15W transmitter modules within the next year though, allowing wireless charger manufacturers to begin using them shortly afterwards.
