Broadcom has developed a chip that will bring uniformity to wireless charging standards; the BCM59350 chip has no official mass release date as of yet, but Broadcom says that sample chips have already gone out to "select" partners.

In a press release, Broadcom states, high performance BCM59350 wireless charging PMU enables automatic selection between specifications from all three leading standards organizations including the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), Power Matters Alliance (PMA) and Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) for OEM flexibility. A4WP uses resonant technology, called Rezence, that allows consumers to "drop and go," placing multiple devices on a single charging surface without the trouble of accurate positioning or alignment.

"Available today, Broadcom's new wireless charging technology enables device manufacturers to build multi-standard wireless power receivers, alleviating consumer confusion and driving the benefits of Rezence technology into the mainstream," said Reinier van der Lee, Broadcom Product Director, Mobile Platforms. "Broadcom delivers the complete package — interoperable wireless charging, leading mobile connectivity and WICED™ Smart technology for charging pads, simplifying the development process and enabling a fully interoperable ecosystem to our customers."

Rezence uses Bluetooth Smart technology as a reliable communication channel between the smartphone and charging surface, taking advantage of the wide deployment of Bluetooth in mobile devices and wearables. Leveraging Broadcom's combo connectivity leadership, mobile device manufacturers can easily add multi-standard wireless charging, simplifying development and accelerating time to market for a best-in-class smartphone platform design.

"Demand for wireless charging is set to explode over the next five years," said Ryan Sanderson, IHS Technology Associate Director, Power Supply & Storage Components. "IHS forecasts the number of devices shipped annually that are enabled to charge wirelessly to increase to over $50 million in 2014 and accelerate to $900 million in 2018. This is projected to drive a combined market for wireless power receivers and transmitters worth $8.5 billion in 2018."

Key Features:

-Compatible with all existing wireless charging standards (A4WP, PMA and WPC) for consumer ease-of-use
-Delivers end-to-end system with Broadcom's Bluetooth® WICED™ Smart family for wireless charging pads
-Leverages Broadcom® Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo connectivity leadership for mobile platforms