Qualcomm’s new technology will let you wirelessly charge a device with a metal exterior. What we do know is that the new wireless charging tech is not that different in practice when compared to the old one, meaning that people will be able to charge their metal phones much like they already do with their plastic ones. Wireless charging technologies that use an induction charger heat up metal objects, making an induction-based system incompatible with anything metal. Existing solutions aren’t quite as efficient as simply plugging a cable into your device: you lose a little bit of energy when charging without wires.

WiPower has added the ability to have the device itself made of metal.

That capability is possible thanks to the higher frequency used by Rezence, which is more tolerant of metal objects in the charging field. Due to the way this technology works, wireless charging has traditionally not been available on devices that feature metallic frames.

[Qualcomm via Toms Hardware].

The one caveat to all of this is that Qualcomm’s WiPower follows the Rezence standard set by the A4WP consortium. And if you have several devices they’ll both charge simultaneously. On the upside, WiPower is faster and far more convenient than current wireless charging solutions by being able to charge devices quicker (it can pump out up to 22 watts of power), and offers more flexible by eliminating the need for precise alignment and/or physical contact with a receiving device.

Announcing the news, Steve Pazol, General Manager of Wireless Charging, Qualcomm Incorporated said, “Building a wireless charging solution into devices with metal exteriors is a significant step for moving the entire industry forward”. Metal gets in the way and affects the performance of technologies such as Qi, but Qualcomm says the design behind WiPower will be available for license, so that companies can build it into their own products.