A GAME CHANGING TECHNOLOGY The time of wireless charging has arrived! New technologies and so-called “game changing” products are not very common in our industry. Looking back over the past years, we have seen a lot of gadgets coming and going, such as mouse pads, memory sticks, digital photo frames, portable power banks and charging cables. These products are usually the result of major developments and changes in consumer behaviour, funded by large companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google that launch innovative, ground-breaking products, such as the iPod, iPhone, iPad and of course ... the internet. Well, now wireless charging is here! Wireless charging via Qi technology is the transfer of power via electromagnetic induction fi elds, which makes charging cables, plugs and adapters unnecessary. All you need is a Qi charging station (transmitter) and a phone with wireless charging options (receiver). As soon as the device is placed on the station, the phone starts charging immediately. Smart, simple and fast! Wireless charging offers the consumer endless benefi ts and research has shown that a whopping 76% are eagerly looking forward to it. Without Apple entering the market with wireless chargers, Wireless Charging products were diffi cult to embrace for potential customers and our Gifts & Premiums market struggled with this new technology. Marketers were not sure if their premium gift was compatible with the phones of their target audience. This is all changing now, and marketers can be sharp as a knife. This huge increase in popularity also means there are players on the market who offer wireless chargers while they are not affi liated with the Wireless Power Consortium. This does not only result in products with lower market quality, but also to potentially dangerous products. We remember the moment when the popularity of power banks increased, which led to cheap products and poor global market quality; a number of these products were literally caught on fi re. Safety has always been important but has become even more important nowadays. THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF WIRELESS CHARGERS: 1. Qi certifi ed products; from manufacturers or brands affi liated with the Qi Wireless Power Consortium these products stop charging if overheating is perceived, to ensure safety. 2. Qi standard products; products that are not certifi ed but comply to the standards and requirements of the Qi consortium. However, while there is a lack of control, the quality of this category is diffi cult to determine. 3. Non-Qi standard; these products are not manufactured according to the Qi standard and are therefore extremely dangerous since there is no security regarding overheating. Smart, simple and fast charging via Qi technology The total global market for wireless chargers is expected to grow to 1 billion users by 2020, according to IHS. This is the time to embrace this new technology, to explore this subject and take advantage of this incredible “game changer”. CONTINEW -13 (Source IHS: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3229750/mobile-wireless/is-wireless-charging-bad-for-your-smartphone.html)
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