Announced at Mobile World Congress over the weekend, the new home furniture collection includes desks, bedside tables and lamps. Subtle white charging pads are integrated into the surfaces of each item.
The furniture works with the Qi wireless charging standard, used by the majority of smartphones with support for wireless charging. Supporting manufacturers include Nokia, Samsung and Google’s Nexus-branded products.
Using the wireless charging functionality is as simple as plugging the desk, lamp or other item from the IKEA collection into the mains and then placing your Qi-compatible phone on the wireless charging pad integrated into the product. Your phone will begin to gain charge without any fidding with wires.
Such technology could prove very useful in workplaces as well as at home. It is easy to see many workers being pleased as their phone charges on the desk while they work.
The new line of IKEA products will be available from April 2015 in Europe and North America. A larger roll-out into other countries will come later in the year.
Jeanette Skjelmose, IKEA’s business area manager for lighting and wireless charging, says in the press release says: “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.”
Having wireless charging incorporated into mundane household furniture items could help it to gain popularity and become more mainstream. As increasing numbers of phones launch with the ability built in, being able to charge a phone by simply leaving it on a desk as normal seems very attractive to many who are tired of untangling cables each time their mobile needs a boost.
