Consumer Adoption, Interest in Wireless Charging Continues to Surge, New International Survey Shows

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Consumer adoption of wireless charging technology has increased dramatically, according to a new survey conducted by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), which highlights a broad level of interest in wireless charging from consumers compared to a similar survey conducted last year.

The survey, which gauged perceptions and experiences of wireless charging among more than 1,600 consumers1 from the U.S., UK, Germany and China, indicated high levels of interest in seeing wireless charging beyond the home and car deployed in places including hotels, airports and coffee shops.

As the creator of the global standard for wireless charging called Qi (pronounced “chee”), the WPC and its nearly 570 member companies have sparked dramatic growth over the last year. There are now nearly 1,750 Qi-Certified products available at retailers, and Qi chargers are installed at thousands of public locations globally.

Key survey findings:

• Wireless charging is a smartphone must-have: The number of consumers who report using wireless charging regularly has tripled since a previous WPC study, with nearly 40 percent reporting using it. Though the majority of current users only own one wireless charging device, acquired within the last two years, a growing percentage report having purchased it more recently.
• Consumers see value in seeing more Qi charging locations beyond the home: Places where consumers spend the most time are popular charging locations. According to the survey, 66 percent of consumers use wireless charging at home. Cars and offices are also popular charging locations. However, there is a strong interest in wireless charging at other locations, including hotels, motels and other public lodging, as well as travel and retail environments such as airports, coffee shops and restaurants.
• Wireless charging helps to decrease “battery anxiety”: Improvements in batteries and charging options, including wireless charging, have reduced the frequency with which consumers experience battery anxiety, with 28 percent now reporting they “never” experience battery anxiety (down from 25% in 2016). Non-users of wireless charging report that the ability to not worry about battery levels and not need to carry chargers has a large impact on their interest in purchasing a wireless charger.
• Qi Certification matters. Amid the rise of Qi, some manufacturers have started making non-compliant or counterfeit products with misleading labels like “Qi-enabled” or “Qi compatible,” often with illegally-used Qi logos. Consumers surveyed agreed that Qi Certified offers distinct advantages in a wireless charging product to ensure safety, compatibility, and reliability.

“On top of broader awareness, it is clear there is heightened consumer demand and interest in Qi wireless charging as an easy and safe way to remain powered up throughout the day,” said Menno Treffers, WPC chairman. “This new survey shows that consumers want wireless charging in more places than just their home and car. They would also like to see it at restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, travel lounges and on planes and trains so they have convenient access to top-up and extend their device battery life. With the momentum by our global ecosystem, we believe Qi is the universal charging method to conveniently power smartphones and new consumer electronics devices in a safe and reliable way.”

About the Wireless Power Consortium

Established in 2008, the Wireless Power Consortium is an open, collaborative standards development group of more than 570 company members around the globe. WPC’s members include Apple, ASUS, Belkin, Bosch, Canon, ConvenientPower, Dell, Delphi, Google, Haier, Huawei, IKEA, Lenovo, LG, MediaTek, mophie, NXP, Panasonic, Royal Philips, Samsung, Sony, TDK, Verizon Wireless and Xiaomi.

These companies – large and small competitors and ecosystem partners, from all parts of the industry and all parts of the globe – collaborate for a single purpose: to design and evolve the world’s most useful, safe and efficient standard for wireless power. For more information, click here.