Xiaomi reveals gadget that can charge a smartphone through the air

Charging a smartphone through the air may sound like science fiction but it could be closer to reality.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has unveiled such a gadget, which would mean no more wires or wireless stands to power up devices.

It is still early days but the firm said their Mi Air Charge Technology is currently able to provide five watts remotely within a radius of several metres.

Multiple devices can be charged at the same time and physical obstacles do not reduce the technology’s ability.

For now, Mi Air Charge will only work with smartphones that come with a special set of mini antennas made by Xiaomi built in, meaning other handset makers would have to adopt it for their customers to take advantage.

The transmitter is packed with 144 antennas that are able to work out the location of a device and then uses a technique called beam-forming to transmit “millimetre-wide waves” which charge the phone.

Xiaomi has not given a release date or any indication whether it intends to make Mi Air Charge available to the public at all in the future, so the technology could still be a way off from reaching the market.