Our smartphones are a big part of our lives. These devices keep us entertained and have tools to guarantee our lives are more organized. At the same time, smartphones are our work tools, which is why we take them seriously. Part of that seriousness is ensuring they are juiced up and serviced for excellent working conditions. However, having access to power cannot be guaranteed at all times thanks to situational limitations. Maybe, you do not have electricity in your neck of the woods, or abhor carrying a bulky power bank around. Other people do not like the hassle of dealing with USB cables, and this is where wireless charging comes in handy.
The last concern is what Chargifi looks forward to solving. The solution is a creation of Algocent, a private equity firm that has a number of investments across Sub-Saharan Africa with interests in Energy, Lifestyle, Real Estate and Technology.
Chargifi leverages the features of wireless charging that has been around for some time now. In this case, a key with micro USB or Type C pin is plugged into a user’s device. The key is then positioned on a charging mat that transfers energy to the phone through electromagnetic induction.
“Our wireless charging solutions does a lot more than provide power when needed it also grants business owners access to customer behaviour insights” says Daniel Kamau, Director at Algocent.
The advantage of using the key is that your phone does not need inbuilt wireless charging. Basically, any phone can use the technology, and that is a good thing. Devices that support wireless charging such the last three iterations of the Samsung’s Galaxy S series (S6, 7 and 8) and iPhone 8/+ and X do not need they key as the mat works just like any other wireless charging pad.
The Chargifi team says the solution supports rapid charging. I’m somehow skeptical about that statement since wireless charging is naturally slow. Even Samsung’s fast wireless charging is not turbo fast as you would expect with a charging brick and a cable.
The target market for this solution are restaurants, boardrooms, airports and hospitals, among other setups. The same institutions can monitor the performance of their wireless charging spots from their computers. For instance, if the spot is down, a self-repair action can be initiated remotely.
Individuals can also buy the solution, but the price for one mat was not revealed at the event. Users can also purchase the key separately and carry it around for future use. Also, this is a proprietary technology, meaning you cannot use the key on any other wireless charging system other than the mat provided by Chargifi. Bummer.
In my opinion, I hope to see this solution become mainstream and make its ways to as many restaurants as possible. We will also update the post as soon as we get wind of the pricing model.
