Led by mobile phones, small appliances and wearables, shipments of consumer electronics devices enabled with wireless charging rose 40% in 2017, compared to 2016. In all, nearly 500 million devices with wireless charging shipped last year, according to IHS Markit.
Mobile phones were primarily responsible for the strong growth in wireless power technology in 2017, after Samsung set a precedent for the year with its flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone in April 2017. Apple followed in November 2017, adding the technology to its new iPhone devices, including the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
The Apple Watch, which has featured a proprietary, low frequency charging solution since its launch in 2015, led wireless charging in the wearable devices category in 2017. Smart watch devices launched by smartphone manufacturers are expected to continue to drive growth in the wearable segment, which is expected to exceed 90 million units shipped in 2022.
Awareness grows but usage is still low
The latest Wireless Power Market Tracker from IHS Markit noted that consumer awareness of wireless charging technology exceeded 80% in all regions. Awareness is expected to increase in 2018, thanks to Apple’s support of the technology. However, user survey suggests that actual usage of wireless charging technology remains low, averaging only 29% across all regions in 2017.
Victoria Fodale, senior analyst, IHS Markit, is not surprised given that both Samsung and Apple have only started to include wireless charging technology in 2017.
“In the past, the presence of several competing wireless charging standards was a barrier to adoption. By early 2017, Qi had displaced the competing standards. We expect even more smartphone makers will adopt Qi technology this year,” she added.