Published in AI

Chipzilla pulls the plug on wireless charging project

by on07 June 2016


So much for a world without wires

Intel appears to have given up on its wireless world project, which was based around its Core M chip.

I once sat through an interesting presentation once where Intel explained that offices were going to be much more fluid things and people would show up with wireless based hardware, sit down and start work. You would connect on wireless while your notebook would be charged and powered over the the air.

However now it seems that vision is not padding out for Intel and it is getting out of the technology, which would have bought it about.

Last week four Intel representatives resigned their posts at the AirFuel Alliance, an industry group that was formed to push wireless charging standards. In emails announcing their resignations from the AirFuel Alliance committees, the Intel employees cited the company’s plans to realign strategic priorities.

In an email, Intel confirmed that it was likewise shutting down wireless charging development. “Our strategy behind our internal development work to date was primarily focused on accelerating the ecosystem, which has largely happened,” the company stated.

Intel told Forbes that it was continuing to work closely with WiTricity, an Intel Capital portfolio company, and “that many of our OEM partners are using” WiTricity’s solutions. Intel also said it was working with OEMs “to validate technical solutions.”

But WiTricity or anyone else for that matter has offered a date when laptops with wireless charging will be available. They are expected for this year but the user experience, the power level, the efficiency and the cost—will fall short of the vision Intel was promising.
With key vision things taken away, Intel appears to be left with more ephemeral talk about the cloud and the Internet of Things very little of the “vision thing” which it used to do rather well.

Last modified on 07 June 2016
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