IKEA Charging Furniture Coming This April Won’t Work with Your iPhone

IKEA wants to free you from the ugliness of strewn-about cords, and has just announced a new line of furniture that can wirelessly charge your devices. Not your iPhones, but plenty of other devices. I...
IKEA Charging Furniture Coming This April Won’t Work with Your iPhone
Written by Josh Wolford
  • IKEA wants to free you from the ugliness of strewn-about cords, and has just announced a new line of furniture that can wirelessly charge your devices.

    Not your iPhones, but plenty of other devices.

    IKEA will launch a line of Qi-powered bedside tables, lamps and desks this April in Europe and North America, and will roll them out globally later this year. If you own a Qi-compatible device, you’ll be able to place it on your bedside table and it’ll wirelessly charge.

    Qi is the most-adopted wireless charging standard, available in over 80 smartphones. Apple has not adopted Qi, so if you want your iPhone to work with IKEA’s new furniture you’ll have to purchase a separate Qi case for it.

    “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, Range Manager for Lighting and Wireless Charging, at IKEA. “As a member of Wireless Power Consortium, we value the access to the leading and most advanced global standard for wireless charging.”

    Other Wireless Power Consortium members include Microsoft, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, and Verizon.

    Wireless charging is kind of a contested issue, and Qi isn’t the only player in the game. Last year, Starbucks announced a wireless charging initiative, but favored the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard.

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