Way back in the year 2000, Samsung set up a special team to focus on developing wireless charging. This year, the company says, will be huge for the technology.
In 2011 Samsung introduced its first commercial wireless charging pad, and last year Samsung showed its commitment to wireless charging by releasing most of its flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 with wireless charging capability.
So why has Samsung claimed that 2015 will be so important for wireless charging? One of the biggest problems facing wireless charging is the fact that there isn't a single industry standard. However that may no longer prove to be a hurdle.
Three's a crowd
There are three organisations that are working on standardising wireless charging technology; the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) and the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP).
While the WPC pushes its Qi standard, the PMA and A4WP are teaming up to create their own standard. This has resulted in devices that can be wirelessly charged not working with all wireless chargers, which has put some people off and turned what should be a convenient feature into a sometimes complicated and confusing affair.
Samsung is a member of all three organisations and has announced that a component that supports multiple standards on a single chip has been created.
It was built last year, and according to Samsung it usually takes around six to 12 months to integrate new components into devices on the market, which means this year we should see smartphones that can be wirelessly charged on any wireless charger, regardless of the standard it uses.
The number of wireless charging locations is rapidly growing with chains such as McDonald's, as well as hotels and airports, all offering wireless mats, so it looks like 2015 really could be the year we ditch our charging cables for good.
