Shipments of consumer devices that can be powered or charged  wirelessly (e.g. inductively) are forecast to grow from just 1.5 million in 2009 to almost one billion in 2019, according to the latest analysis from IMS Research.,

According to IMS Research’s latest report, “The Growth Potential for Wireless Power and Charging”, activity in the wireless power and charging industry has increased significantly over the last two years and there are now numerous start-ups offering solutions using conductive, inductive, magnetic resonance, radio (RF) and infrared technologies. . Although shipments of consumer devices using the technology were very low last year, this is forecast to grow rapidly driven by the predicted adoption in high volume applications such as cell phones.

Research Analyst and report author Ryan Sanderson commented, “Initial adoption of wireless power and charging will be for aftermarket add-on solutions, though IMS Research predicts that mass adoption will occur as major cell phone and notebook OEMs are intending to integrate the technology into their products”. In 2009 Dell’s Latitude Z notebook was introduced with integrated wireless charging capabilities. At the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Palm announced that its Palm Pre Plus would ship with the Palm Touchstone Back Cover, making it compatible with its inductive charging dock (sold separately). Sanderson added, “Other applications, in particular cell phones, will follow suit in 2010, fuelled by industry standards such as the low power interoperability standard, branded Qi, which is currently under development by The Wireless Power Consortium, and due for release in early 2010”.