If forgetting your phone charger at home gives you irrational anxiety, IKEA will soon be able to help. The world’s largest furniture retailer announced it will be incorporating Qi wireless charging pads into some of its products. The new line of lamps, bedside tables and desks was unveiled on Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Users will be able to charge their smartphones and tablets by simply placing them on top of the Qi stations, which use electromagnetic fields and inductive coupling to power devices. The furniture itself, however, will need to be plugged into an external outlet.
Currently, there are 81 smartphones on the market that support the technology, including Google Nexus, HTC, Samsung and Nokia. IKEA will also sell Qi receiver back covers for smartphone models that are not compatible, such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.
The furniture will be available with or without Qi. The built-in technology will retail for about $22 more than the standard items and individual pads can be purchased for $34, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Qi wireless charging could eliminate the clutter of messy cables as well as the dreaded ‘my phone is about to die’ scenario. IKEA’s new line will be available in-store and online as of mid-April.
