Motorola's Over-the-Air Wireless Charging Technology Is Cool, but not fast.

Over-the-air wireless charging is the dream—after all, who doesn’t want to charge their phone without having to plug it in? Though there is still work to do and regulatory barriers to overcome, gadget makers have sought to bring the technology to market and make it a daily reality.

Motorola is the latest smartphone maker to show off its over-the-air wireless charging technology, following Xiaomi and Oppo. Its claim to fame is that it can charge multiple devices at once, and it has a rather amazing range. From a distance of 10 feet, Motorola’s “Space Charging” technology can charge up to four smartphones at once.

Motorola worked with GuRu Wireless, which announced its alliance with Motorola earlier this year, to create its wireless power solution, dubbed “Space Charging.” Salom Electric looks to be a manufacturing partner and is also collaborating with the firms on wireless charging technology.

Although we already knew Motorola was working on this technology, this is the first time we’ve seen it in action. The central charging station, which resembles an enterprise-level router, is the focus of Motorola’s video demonstration at parent firm Lenovo’s Tech World event this week. As the scenario progresses, a model appears and adds four iPhones into the mix. The battery indicator displays that the phone is charging as they insert each one into its holder.

How over-the-Air Wireless Charging Technology Works:

The video then displays charging distances ranging from one to three meters to showcase Space Charging’s long-range charging capabilities. For those of you who use imperial measurements, this implies that devices with the appropriate chip may charge from approximately 10 feet away from the battery base.

The remote wireless charging technique is comparable to that of wifi and mesh networking. Instead of setting your phone on a specific charging base, you may simply walk into a room with a base station and your devices will charge.

In its Weibo profile, Motorola goes into further detail: “No charging cable is necessary, and there is no need to consider the placement of the power source,” the picture states. The base also has a 100-degree “wide-angle” coverage. And it can charge phones “despite barriers such as paper and leather,” according to Motorola. In addition, the base station features a “phased array comprised of 1,600 antennae.”

Other Sensitive Characteristics:

The statement of built-in “bio-monitoring,” which can detect when a person has entered the room, is perhaps the most intriguing. “It will avoid/stop obstructing portion of the charging beam after identifying the human body.”

Motorola’s Space Charging technology already faces some competition, at least in the international market. In February, Oppo teased its Wireless Air Charging, albeit it’s only good for a 4-inch range. Xiaomi’s version is dubbed Mi Air Charge Technology, and it promises to be capable of simultaneously charging several devices. Then there’s Ossia, which was just approved in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission, but only for charging distances of up to three feet.

Motorola’s Space Charging technology, or any other over-the-air wireless charging option, is unlikely to be adopted anytime soon. There are differences in legislation between areas, according to CNET. In the United States, companies like Ossia have a restricted charging range. But in the European Union and the United Kingdom, the range is limitless. There’s also the issue of exclusivity, which was one of the early wireless charging methods’ flaws.

Also read: Users Experiencing Wireless Charging Issues On Samsung.