Wireless charging has been making charging more convenient for a few years now, letting you simply place your phone on a charging pad to juice it up rather than fumbling with a cable. Now a charging solution that's even more wireless than the wireless chargers many of us use has hit a major milestone.
The Energous WattUp has been certified by the FCC, making it the first at-a-distance wireless charging solution to receive FCC certification. The specific device that's been certified is the WattUp Mid Field transmitter.
Energous's WattUp system uses radio frequency (RF) energy to charge devices at a distance. In a demo video posted to the company's YouTube channel, we can see that an iPhone wearing a receiver cover that begins getting a wireless charge from the transmitter after requesting power. There's a second iPhone that's plugged into a wireless charging dock that's placed 15 feet away from the transmitter.
The WattUp Mid Field transmitter that's been certified by the FCC can transmit power to devices up to three feet away. Energous says that its transmitter was subjected to "rigorous, multi-month testing" to ensure that it met all of the consumer safety and regulatory requirements.
It's still unclear when we might see the Energous WattUp Mid Field transmitter launch to the public, and when it does, it's very possible that you'll need a special receiver case for it to work with your phone. Still, this is an exciting solution that'll let you wirelessly charge your device while several feet away from the charger itself. This means that you'll be able to easily use your phone while it's charging wirelessly, which is something that can be a pain with current wireless charging pads.
