Skip to main content

Haier’s future appliances will wirelessly beam power to your mobile devices

haier wattup wireless charging appliances iot
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Over the past few years, two technological trends have gradually begun to pick up. Appliances have become smarter and more connected to other devices, and wireless charging technology has gotten more sophisticated, allowing us to power devices from increasingly long distances. These two technologies have evolved separately from one another in the past, but now Haier, one of the world’s biggest appliance manufacturers, wants to bring them together.

Haier has recently signed a joint development agreement with Energous, a California-based company that makes a proprietary wireless charging technology called WattUp. Together, the two companies plan to collaborate to build WattUp transmitter technology into a range of different household appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, microwaves, stoves, and more.

RelatedHaier’s futuristic new AC unit is the first home appliance to be Apple-certified 

Unlike currently-available wireless charging solutions, which can typically only transmit power over a couple inches; WattUp delivers power of the same radio bands as a Wi-Fi router, allowing it to beam power to your devices from multiple feet away, even as you roam around the room. The idea seems to be that by building this technology into common household appliances, Haier will “create an always-on charging environment in high-traffic areas in homes, offices, retail stores and other commercial spaces.”

This plan certainly sounds good on paper, but time will tell if it actually catches on or not. Appliances that double as wireless charging hubs would undoubtedly cost more than those that don’t, and replacing an existing appliance with an expensive new one just to get wireless charging functionality doesn’t really seem like something most consumers would be willing to do — especially if standalone wireless power hubs (such as uBeam) can be had for a lower price.

What do you think? Are gadget-charging appliances something you’d buy for your home? Or are they an unnecessary luxury that you’d rather steer clear of? Sound off in the comments below.

Editors' Recommendations

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
How to connect smart home gadgets to your Amazon Alexa device
amazon echo vs apple homepod

While it’s possible to control all your smart home devices with their individual apps, using Alexa is much more convenient. It requires a bit of setup, but once you’ve synced your compatible smart home products with Alexa, you can issue voice commands to control their performance.

You can even access them through the Alexa smartphone app, giving you a way to look at your entire smart home with just the click of a button.

Read more
Your Google smart home devices just got a lot less talkative
A person standing in a living room while looking at a Google device.

Smart assistants are an indispensable part of any smart home, making it easy to give hands-free commands and control a variety of gadgets. Google is looking to further streamline the performance of its smart assistant, with the expansion of chime alerts to cut down on how talkative your Google Nest gadgets are when responding to instructions.

For example, after asking Google to turn on a fan, you’ll now be able to hear a quick chime to confirm the assistant has heard your instructions. Previously, confirmation would come in the form of a short sentence, such as “OK, turning on your fan.”

Read more
How to set up your Google Home device
The Nest Hub Max front view.

Adding a Google device to your household (such as the Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max) is an easy way to join the smart home frenzy and bring a bit of automation to your life. While no one is stopping you from tossing the gadget on your kitchen counter and calling it a day, it’s definitely worth your time to take a few extra seconds to optimize your Google Home experience. From installing the Google Home app on your smartphone to syncing all your devices, here are some extra steps you should take when setting up your Google Home device.

Read more