Qi wireless charging has now become the standard for convenient charging smartphones. However, with the upcoming circulation of Android 15, we may see an alternative: the NFC wireless charging. Recent findings show that the Google is considering its incorporation technologys to compatible devices, offering a more flexible solution despite the possible lag compared to Qi.
NFC wireless charging requires smaller hardware to operate, making it ideal for more compact smartphones. While Qi-enabled devices have larger wireless charging coils, NFC technology, already used for contactless payments, can offer a more elegant solution. Although the official NFC Wireless Charging (WLC) regulation was announced in May 2020, its widespread adoption has not yet been achieved, possibly due to significantly lower charging speeds compared to Qi.
The advantages of NFC WLC are obvious: the charging antennas can be shrunk to 1cm in size and are highly flexible, allowing them to be integrated into small devices such as smartwatches, Bluetooth trackers, wireless headphones and more.
With the expected release of Android 15 later this year, we may see support for NFC Wireless Charging and a flood of compatible WLC accessories on the market. According to Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman, Android 1 beta 15 includes WLC-related additions to the operating system's NFC APIs. The same report states that Google had attempted to integrate WLC support in late 2021, nearly a year and a half after the regulation was released, but later canceled the effort.
There are no explanations yet for Google's revival of this abandoned project. However, the benefits are not limited to compact smartphones. Other products, such as Bluetooth trackers, could also benefit by reducing maintenance costs and making them easier to charge.
On the other hand, adding software support from Google is a different matter than integrating the technology into physical products. Hopefully the upcoming Google I/O press conference will provide more answers.
