Towards 1 billion smartphones with wireless charging. Strategy Analytics believes that this figure will be reached by the end of the year when the invention is about to celebrate its first decade of life.
Wireless charging technology for cell phones is no longer “a niche technology” but “an on-demand charging solution”.
So says Ken Hyers, director of Strategy Analytics, who, as the first ten years of this solution are about to be completed, warns that we are close to reaching 1 billion compatible smartphones. This installed base of smartphones with wireless charging capability will be a reality by the end of the year, after a decade of “double- and triple-digit” annual sales.
He highlights the role of the Asia-Pacific region, where almost 1 in 2 handsets is already wireless charging enabled. In North America, this type of handset does not yet represent a quarter (21 %) and in Western Europe, they account for 16 %.
At the moment it is the Chinese suppliers who are betting on the most advanced solutions, such as Xiaomi with its Mi Air Charge.
If all goes according to plan, 2.2 billion wireless devices will be reached by 2026, thanks to the interest of “the growing middle classes in emerging market countries”, who are opting for high-end phones.