IKEA and The Great Disappearing Charger Trick

IKEA and The Great Disappearing Charger Trick

Uber ContentUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 03:15 AM IST
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The world could soon be bidding goodbye to the sight of the unsightly mess that is the common household charging space. There have been quite a few initiatives in this area but when the furniture giant IKEA steps into the arena, you know that things are starting to get serious. The idea is, that while working or relaxing you can just place your mobile device on the tabletop next to you, and the ‘smart’ surface can keep the device juiced up with a wireless charge. Now how is that possible, you ask?

Cut to IKEA’s announcement at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona of a range of “Home Smart” furniture, which integrates wireless changing spots incorporating QI technology, into lamps, bedside tables and a coffee table as well as individual charging pads which can be placed on any surface. “People hate cable mess. They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power,” said Ikea’s Jeanette Skjelmose, Manager Of Lighting And Wireless Charging, in a press release. “Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler.”

Ikea is launching a new range of high-tech furniture that will wirelessly charge your smartphones and tablets.

Ikea is launching a new range of high-tech furniture that will wirelessly charge your smartphones and tablets. |

The Home Smart range will be released in mid-April in North America and Europe, which will be followed by a global rollout. “Our belief is that mobile phones are vital parts to people’s lives at home and their desire to stay connected, and QI addresses an unmet need to keep devices powered,” said Bjorn Block, Ikea’s Range Manager For Lighting And Wireless Charging, in a statement.

The Wireless Power Consortium, an industry body whose members includes Belkin, Motorola, Panasonic and Sony, is credited with the establishment of the QI standard. This technology is currently the wireless charging standard of the world. It works through magnetic coils that generate a small electromagnetic field. QI-enabled devices then convert this field into energy to charge a battery.

The QI wireless charging technology is compatible with more than 80 handsets and 15 cars at this time. These include the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6, Google Nexus 6 and many Nokia Lumia devices. However, iPhones and older Galaxy Ss don’t support wireless charging. IKEA has a workaround for them; it will sell special charging covers for non-QI enabled phones. After placing the cases on these phones, they’ll work with all wireless charges, including the wireless charges in the Home Smart range.

Each piece from the Home Smart furniture range is marked with large and attractive “+” signs which show where you should rest your mobile device to charge it. You will have to connect the item of furniture concerned to a wall socket to take advantage of its charging capabilities. With smooth modern curves, these pristine white pieces will fit into any home while adding some discreet ‘smartness’ to it.

So when IKEA’s first store in India opens its doors, you’ll know exactly which line of ‘smart’ furniture to make a beeline for right?

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