Continued

One downside to the system is that it requires your devices to be ensconced in a special case that contains a receiver in order to pair with a corresponding charging plate. A rep from the company told us they would be supporting a vast array of devices out of the gate with cases and receivers, and that the eventual goal is to partner with manufacturers to include receivers inside devices themselves, obviating the need for an external case and receiver.

We were told the speed of charging is about comparable to the time you'd normally need to charge a device via wall plug and occasionally actually faster. A range of 5 different charging mats designed for specific areas of the home and including a travel version is slated to be released sometime this year in the price range of about $100.

Powermat also had a demo area of prototype work showcasing the vision of where they see the wireless charging trend going, including a kitchen countertop that itself was a large wireless charging surface and an office desk wirelessly powering a laptop, cell phone, iPod docking speakers and lamp. Another demo room showed off thin electric plates embedded in a living room wall transmitting wireless power to devices on the front of the wall, including a television and lamp sconce.

We'll admit that requiring devices to be outfitted with special cases that include the receivers required to achieve magnetic induction is a bit of a drag, but on the other hand we see the vast potential inherent in this system of wireless charging. Once consumers and the market see this technology in action and experience the time saving and simplification it provides, we can see this quickly becoming one of those "how did we live without it" kind of disruptive technologies. Powermat's offerings seem functional and reasonable in terms of cost, and we look forward to picking one up later this year.