Samsung and Qualcomm today announced the formation of a new group called the Alliance for Wireless Power. The group's mission is to "promote global standardization of a wireless power transfer technology." A rival organization, called the Wireless Power Consortium, already promotes its own standard called Qi that uses magnetic induction to wirelessly charge devices. Samsung and Qualcomm believe the Alliance for Wireless Power will benefit the consumer electronics industry by developing product testing, certification, and regulatory compliance processes, as well as fostering industry dialogue with regulators on wireless power policy development. They believe that spatial freedom is key, which will allow multiple devices to charge on a wide range of surfaces, such as in cars, table tops, etc. The two companies will work to create a transmitter and receiver antenna design that is easily built into surfaces other than metal and create a single specification that will cover low-power devices such as Bluetooth headsets and more power-hungry devices such as tablets.

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