CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple has announced their purchase of a small New Zealand-based company PowerbyProxi, a firm that specializes in wireless charging technologies that are based on the Qi standard.
Dan Riccio, the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering for Apple, said that the team, pertaining to their latest acquisition, will be an excellent addition to the Apple works especially in creating a wireless future. He also added that the company aims to bring a genuinely effortless charging to even more places and more customers in all parts of the world.
The PowerbyProxi was founded in 2007 by Fady Mishriki, an Auckland entrepreneur. It is a spin-off project of the University of Auckland. It has received international recognition for the innovation of the wireless charging system that is primarily based on the Qi wireless standard of the Wireless Power Consortium.
The primary product offering of the company is its Proxi-Module platform. It is both a data transfer and modular wireless power system that is specially designed for high-power applications.
The hardware of the product can deliver up to 100 watts of power to warehouse robots, drones, medical machines, and other various battery-powered equipment. These are all possible because if its 65-mm power coil that can operate at about 91% efficiency.
The product also features a waterproof design of the modular chassis for a better flexible docking solution.Its internal circuitry can support detection of foreign objects.
The PowerbyProxi is also known for its other products like the Proxi-Com. It is an add-on unit that can be integrated with the Proxi-Module. The combination of the two products allows for the conversion of wired data signals such as Ethernet, GPIO, and CAN bus to wireless.
However, it is still unknown whether Apple will allow PowerbyProxi to continue their sales.
The hardware companies that have been acquired by Apple usually end production since teams are brought in to start working on in-house initiatives. But there are several exceptions such as Beats. Despite being purchased by Apple in 2014, it has continued to operate as a brand. Also, Beddit that was acquired by Apple just recently was also allowed to maintain their sales in the Apple Store.
With the launch of Apple’s smartphones iPhone 8 and iPhone X recently, the company has already introduced wireless charging. The previous inductive solution of the Apple brand like the one used for the Apple Watch was still based on their in-house standards. However, their latest smartphones now use Qi-based technology.
Apple has debuted their charging mat during the company’s annual event in September. It is called the AirPower which aims to work with Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone simultaneously.
The total wattage is still unknown, but it is expected to have higher power output compared to conventional single-device pads.
The latest purchase of PowerbyProxi by the Apple company strongly suggests that they are working on greater lengths for a much higher solution designed for larger devices. Apple has only 87-watt wall adapter as its most extensive output. The new 100-watt continuous stream could be an excellent game changer. While it won’t be anytime soon, there might be an inductive charger for your iPad or Mac in the future.
