Enlarge / In Archos’ depiction, the transmitter panel on the right is sending power to the air-quality monitor on the counter.
I’ve never been impressed by wireless charging devices. Sure, you no longer need to plug a wire into your smartphone, mouse, et cetera, but you still need to place it on the charging pad to charge it. And placing it on a new pad doesn’t save that much time over plugging a cable into it. Over-the-air charging, on the other hand, is closer to what I envisioned when I first heard the term wireless charging. You’re not required in order to lay your device on any product in order for this to recharge. That vision should soon become a reality with true wireless charging products, like a smartwatch and smart home camera expected to debut next year.
On Tuesday, Archos, a French company that makes Android-powered tablets and smartphones, air purifiers, and Safe-T Mini , a cryptowallet, announced some sort of partnership with Ossia, the Washington-based maker of over-the-air charging technology. Archos is currently making plans to be able to design and build a smartwatch, indoor security camera, air monitor, and smart tracker that can charge their batteries without using a cable or charging pad.
Each device will hold a Cota Power Receiver, which is a small silicon chip that sends out a good beacon signal that Ossia says is harmless. That signal bounces off any inanimate objects in its path in order to hit your Cota transmitter. Once that signal is received by the Cota transmitter, it responds by sending power over the air via a 5. 8 GHz frequency to the device holding the receiver. According to Ossia , the devices speak to each other 100 times per second.
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