A patent application published on Friday shows that Samsung is working on what looks like its own equivalent of Apple’s upcoming AirPower wireless charging mat. A patent illustration shows it simultaneously charging both a phone and a smartwatch …
Spotted by Patently Apple, the patent describes a mat which supports both inductive and resonant charging modes, making it suitable for all devices which conform to the Qi standard.
The power transmitting unit may include two induction coils in the magnetic induction method and a resonance coil in the magnetic resonance method. The first and second induction coils are intended to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device to be charged by the magnetic induction method, and the resonance coil is intended to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device to be charged by the magnetic resonance method.
It’s unclear whether such a device would be suitable for charging both the latest iPhones and the Apple Watch. Although Apple announced support for the Qi standard, it appears to use a modified version of the standard to charge the Watch.
While Apple doesn’t generally aim to be first to market with new technology, when it does so, Samsung unashamedly aims to be a ‘fast follower.’ Where Apple announces a product some time before availability, as it has here, that would potentially offer Samsung the opportunity to beat the Cupertino company to market.
Apple’s AirPower mat will support simultaneous charging of an iPhone 8 or X, an Apple Watch and the new AirPods charging case, which will be sold separately. The company has said only that AirPower will be launched at some point next year, with no pricing yet announced.
Resonant charging – supported by both the iPhone 8 and X – also allows contact-free wireless charging, with one startup promising a <$200 device that will allow you to use your iPhone while it’s charging.
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