Wireless power adoption predicted to continue to accelerate throughout 2024

The pace of wireless power adoption will continue to accelerate throughout 2024 as more devices – from mobile phones to kitchen appliances – adopt universal standards providing convenience and enhanced user experiences, according to the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) — of which Apple is a member.

The WPC introduced Qi2 (pronounced “chee two”) at the 2023 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The first Qi v2.0 Certified products were rolled out leading up to the recent holiday shopping season, including Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup and an array of power transmitters announced by Belkin, Mophie, Anker, Scosche, and Aircharge. There are nearly 250 additional devices in the queue to complete their Qi v2.0 certification in advance of their general availability, according to Paul Struhsaker, executive director of the WPC. 

“The news that iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 handsets will be upgraded to include Qi2 with the release of iOS 17.2 means that nearly 800 million devices will be Qi v2.0 Certified within a few short weeks of the Qi v2.0 launch, and that number is expected to grow to approximately 1 billion devices by end of 2024,” he says.

In addition to the update on Qi2, the WPC is announcing the pending launch of the Ki (pronounced “key”) standard for kitchen appliances in fall 2024. Prototype appliances using the Ki standard at trade shows have illustrated the benefits of a Ki Cordless Kitchen, including convenience and safety, according to Struhsaker.

He adds that the Ki standard takes everyday kitchen appliances – blenders, toasters, air fryers, water kettles and more – eliminates the power cords and adds a communication channel between the appliance and the Ki power transmitter, thus creating smart appliances. Without cords or batteries, Ki transmitters deliver up to 2.2 kW of power, enough to power virtually any kitchen appliance.