Motorola team-up will bring over-the-air wireless power to smartphones

Xiaomi isn’t the only company hoping to make over-the-air charging a practical reality. Motorola is expanding on its earlier air-to-air plans by teaming up with GuRu to add true wireless power to its smartphones, making it one of the first phone brands to embrace the technology.

The future devices would use GuRu’s RF Lensing tech to supply wireless power at a “watts-over-meters” level. Your phone could recharge several feet away from a base station, in other words. It’s not certain how GuRu’s system will change (if at all) with the partnership, but Motorola is setting “rigorous” demands for efficiency, quality, and safety.

Read more: The best phones with wireless charging

There was no mention of a timeframe for Motorola phones with over-the-air wireless power, although the timing suggests you won’t see them arrive in 2021.

Fully wireless power currently has its share of compromises. When Motorola first teased its own technology, it described a system that charged up to 3.3ft away. That’s significant, but you won’t charge your phone from across the room. You likely won’t get fast wireless charging, either — Xiaomi’s system tops out at 5W, for example. It’s also safe to presume the system will be expensive compared to Qi wireless chargers, and there’s a good chance it will only be available separately.

Even so, Motorola’s move could bring wireless power much closer to the mainstream. Will you see portless phones soon afterward? Probably not — it could be a while before over-the-air charging is powerful, inexpensive, and reliable enough to ditch cords and pads. Still, the concept of a port-free phone won’t be as far-fetched as you might think.