[June 19, 2018] |
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Consumer Adoption, Interest in Wireless Charging Continues to Surge, New International Survey Shows
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:
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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.
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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 prcent 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.
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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.
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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."
Additional survey details are available at WPC's
website.
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 (News - Alert), 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, visit www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com.
1 - Source (News - Alert): Toluna Research, May 2018
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180619005372/en/
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