The revolution will not be plugged in to charge

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Wireless charging is the next big thing.

JOHANNESBURG - Throw away your mobile phone charger. Okay, not just yet. Soon, though.

Wireless charging is the next big thing.

By far the most popular stand at last week's Mobile World Congress 2010 (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain was an Israeli technology startup, Powermat.

The stand became so crowded that it was quickly pretty much "closed" to the 49 000 delegates, and visitors had to wait for a Powermat exhibitor to take them on a tour of the stand.

The premise behind Powermat is simple. It provides real-time, wireless charging to all sorts of devices. The most attractive and most useful is no doubt for mobile phones. The charge takes a similar amount of time to a usual traditional one, but is more efficient.

You simply don't need to worry about scratching around your bedside table or study desk for the tip of your cellphone charger.

You literally put your phone down on the Powermat device and a little bleep signifies that your battery is charging.

Sceptics will roll their eyes at this, and I was one of them. But the technology is blindingly obvious.

It launched its first products in October last year and the response has been extraordinary. For the launch generation of Powermat devices to work, you install a flat chip behind your phones battery (in the case) and a little conductor on the back of the device.

Consumers wanted something less bulky and at Las Vegas's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Powermat launched a much slimmer kit for iPhones.

VP of marketing Dan Curzon says that over 1.5m of these iPhone kits have been ordered since CES.

It's moving into hyperdrive this year, with the launch of its technology embedded in phone batteries at MWC. There's no more chip on the back of your phone - the technology is transparent.

These batteries will ship towards mid-year.

The technology is not limited to mobile phones. That is just the start. It works with music players, handheld gaming devices, e-readers, GPS devices, and Bluetooth headsets.

It also works with netbooks and laptops. Travelling is made easier with slightly larger portable Powermats that charge up and offer users four full charges. Its extended range of devices also ships mid-year.

Curzon offered a glimpse into the future, with Powermat embedded in tabletops (think wireless kitchen appliances) and walls (wireless lighting).

He also suggests that this technology could mean the end of the masses of cables strewn in crowded coffee shops.

Currently, Powermat is not distributed in South Africa, but a deal will be announced by May.

There is one drawback - because of how the technology works, you cannot dump your wallet filled with credit cards on to the mat as it will damage the magnetic strips.

Chipmaker Qualcomm also demoed a wireless charging device "eZone" at its mega stand, but the technology was different to Powermat's (and safe to drop ATM cards and coins on). The eZone remains a prototype and Qualcomm hasn't said when or how it will come to market.

Wireless charging is the future. Pretty soon to be mobile, you won't need to be plugged in. Ever.

* Hilton Tarrant travelled to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as a guest of Nokia.

* Hilton Tarrant contributes to "Broadband", a column on Moneyweb covering the ICT sector in South Africa. He can't wait to get rid of his multiple phone chargers, but it's going to take some getting used to.

Write to Hilton Tarrant: hilton@moneyweb.co.za