When it comes to wireless charging, most people might first think of the Qi standard. Qi wireless charging has been around for quite some time and is widely used in many of the smart devices we use daily. However, many small electronic devices do not support Qi wireless charging because they lack the space internally to accommodate large coils to receive sufficient power. To address this issue, the Near Field Communication (NFC) Industry Association previously created the NFC Wireless Charging (WLC) specification.
According to Pulsestacks, NFC wireless charging was announced in May 2020 with antennas significantly smaller than those used in Qi wireless charging. The size of NFC wireless charging antennas can be less than 1cm, encapsulated in flexible and bendable printed circuit boards, making them suitable for small smart devices like headphones, styluses, smartwatches, and trackers. Moreover, the same antenna can be used for traditional NFC data transmission, saving even more space. Many small, low-power devices (such as trackers) already include NFC chips for basic data transmission, so replacing them with a single antenna for communication and charging would be very practical.
Despite being announced nearly four years ago, NFC wireless charging technology hasn't gained widespread adoption. One reason for this might be the lack of support from mainstream operating systems like Android. However, the upcoming Android 15 is set to add support for NFC wireless charging, potentially paving the way for a range of WLC (Wireless Charging) supported accessories to enter the market.
Last week, Google released Android 15 Beta 1, which brings significant changes to the operating system's NFC module. For example, system applications responsible for handling NFC-related events now include a class called NfcCharging, which can initiate and terminate NFC charging, as well as read charging information payloads sent via NFC.
Android 15 Beta 1 also includes new features for the operating system's NFC API related to WLC, which are not yet available in AOSP. Interestingly, Google first attempted to add WLC support shortly after the release of the WLC specification about a year and a half ago, but later abandoned the effort. However, earlier this year, Google seems to have reignited its interest in implementing WLC support in Android.
An intriguing application of NFC wireless charging is for trackers. Trackers are typically too small to accommodate Qi wireless charging coils, have small batteries that don't require much power to charge (WLC can transmit up to 1W of power at a distance of 2cm), and already integrate NFC chips. While many trackers boast battery life spans of up to a year, some use non-rechargeable batteries. By integrating NFC wireless charging support, future trackers will be easier to maintain and recharge.
Another potential use case is for charging stylus pens. In fact, the USI 2.0 specification includes built-in NFC wireless charging capabilities, so USI 2.0 stylus pens on the market can already be charged via NFC. However, compatible devices with NFC charging transmitters are still needed to charge them.
Once NFC wireless charging support is integrated into the Android system, wireless charging will become more ubiquitous and applicable to small devices such as earphones, stylus pens, smartwatches, and trackers.
