Ohhh, it’s such a bother to plug in your mobile device to charge it. Wouldn’t it be easier to just plop it down and walk away?

Wireless Charging Is Here. Everywhere.

Wireless charging is rapidly becoming a norm — and it’s incredibly easy to jump on the high-tech bandwagon.

Qi is a widely accepted standard for wireless charging, and you’d be surprised how many places it’s showing up. I knew this technology had gone mainstream when Ikea released a line of furniture that lets you charge your device just by placing it down on the surface. And I’ve seen Qi charging stations at multiple airports (although I’d be hesitant to just drop my phone on a counter, even if I’m just steps away. There’s something more secure about the tether of a phone cord.).

How to Move to Wireless Charging

A whole bunch of the newer phones already have the Qi innards (click here to see if your phone has it), so all you need is a wireless charging base, and you can drop your device onto the pad without plugging anything in. If your phone is of the Apple variety (rumors are it’s coming to iDevices) or just doesn’t have the capability built in, you’ll also need a Qi receiver case.

Can Charging Get Any Easier?

Well, looks like it. A woman named Meredith Perry founded uBeam, a company that hopes to make wireless chargers that will feed energy to your device from up to 30 feet away. They hope to go to market within 2 years, and then you’ll just be able to walk around with your device and have it charge.