Ikea Furniture Will Charge Your Smartphone Wirelessly

How Ikea's new wireless charging furniture works.

ByABC News
March 2, 2015, 10:02 AM
IKEA has announced a range of devices that will allow owners of compatible smartphones to charge their devices by setting them down on a conductive pad.
IKEA has announced a range of devices that will allow owners of compatible smartphones to charge their devices by setting them down on a conductive pad.
IKEA

— -- Ikea wants to make sure you never leave home without a fully charged smartphone.

The Swedish retailer unveiled its "Home Smart" collection of wireless charging furniture at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona over the weekend.

"Our belief is that mobile phones are vital parts to people's lives at home and their desire to stay connected," Bjorn Block, manager of lighting and wireless charging at Ikea said in a statement.

The Home Smart range includes bedside tables, lamps and desks. Like everything else at Ikea, customers will have to put it together. A + sign on the furniture indicates the area where users should place their devices that need power -- negating the need for cable clutter and looking for your phone charger.

While the integration of wireless charging and furniture could make some lives easier, it is important to note that there are currently two dueling standards, PMA and Qi.

Ikea has chosen to work with Wireless Power Consortium, integrating their Qi standard into the furniture, meaning it won't directly work with an iPhone.