Qi at CES

Consumers are loving it: McDonald’s to add 600 Qi wireless charging spots in the UK

The king of fast food convenience is making the dining experience even better with Qi wireless charging in the United Kingdom. At CES 2015, Aircharge announced an expanded partnership with McDonald’s UK to add 600 wireless charging hotspots at more than 50 McDonald’s restaurants in London and elsewhere.

The expanded rollout comes after a successful initial market test between Aircharge and McDonald’s UK aimed at delivering additional value to customers, while also benefitting the McDonald’s operation.

According to a report from one McDonald’s location, customers were clamoring to access the Qi wireless charging service, prompting many to wait up to 30 minutes so they could.

The Aircharge charging spots were specially designed to be water resistant and easy to wipe clean – perfect for a public environment like a restaurant. And because they’re using Qi, many consumers already have devices that are ready to charge. There are already more than 70 Qi-enable smartphones on the market. During the rollout, Aircharge worked with Desireitnow for data layer support.

Even customers who don’t have a Qi-enabled smartphone can use the provided Aircharge wireless charging receiver. So next time you’re in the UK, make sure you get a wireless charge to go with your chips!

For more information, visit www.air-charge.com

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Leading wireless power Industry analyst joins WPC member Aircharge

We had chance to catch up with Ryan Sanderson, recognized as the leading market analyst for wireless power in his former position at IHS. Ryan has just joined Aircharge, a UK-based company and charter member of the WPC Infrastructure Applications Group (IAG) focussed on bringing wireless charging to the office, home and public spaces. We asked Ryan a few questions regarding his new position:

Q: What prompted your move from a research role at IHS to a commercial development role with Aircharge?

I first started analyzing the wireless power market in 2009 and I’ve always been fascinated by the technology and the concept of removing the wire. I firmly believe that wireless charging will become mainstream and this is a great opportunity for me to be part of the rapidly evolving wireless power ecosystem and play a pivotal role in its rollout.

Q: Why did you choose Aircharge?

One of my biggest frustrations with the wireless power market is the huge amount of companies that are sitting back and waiting to see how the market evolves before deploying products. Aircharge already have wireless charging deployments in over 80 locations in the UK, including Vodafone UK headquarters and pilots currently active in a number of UK based McDonald’s restaurants and Ladbrokes betting and gaming outlets. In addition, it has a range of accessories that enable wireless charging with a strong focus on consumer experience and compatibility throughout its range.

Q: Aircharge have a large presence at CES on the WPC stand. What is on show?

We have twenty Aircharge wireless charging points that attendees can come and try out. The charging points are compatible with any of the 70 plus smartphones that are already Qi enabled, and our Aircharge “dongles” will enable any phone, which isn’t already compatible. Aircharge also is demonstrating how it can provide synergy between wireless charging and the use of other emerging technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and NFC to provide identification, networking and contactless payment, enabling the integration of fundamental functions that we will all come to rely on in the future. Come and visit booth SL-2 for a demonstration.

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