wiToyota has just announced that its 2013 Avalon will be the world's first vehicle to offer in-console Qi wireless charging for mobile devices. It's a major victory for the Qi standard; support from automakers is nothing short of critical if any wireless charging solution is to gain mainstream momentum. Qi charging is available as part of a technology package for the new Avalon Limited, which made its way to Toyota showrooms earlier this month. Occupants will be able to place any Qi-compatible device down on a charging pad situated in the vehicle's center console.
Existing handsets without Qi's technology built in can also be charged when placed in specialized cases cases, as demonstrated in the above photo of Apple's iPhone. Randy Stephens, the chief engineer behind the 2013 Avalon, said that partnering with Qi — which faces heightening competition from the Power Matters Alliance and other companies vying to control the wireless charging market — "reflects Toyota's continuing commitment to improve the consumer experience." The company isn't yet saying if and when other models will gain similar functionality. Qi's wireless charging standard has seen implmentation in several smartphones of late including Nokia's Lumia 920, the Google / LG Nexus 4, and HTC's Windows Phone 8X.
Comments
Yawn. Had wireless charging already in my car. Put a Touchstone on the dash with an extra strong magnet and boom.
By bnceo on 12.19.12 3:01pm
well, aren’t you just special
By dirtydave0221 on 12.19.12 3:05pm
Nope. Our little community in webOS is though.
By bnceo on 12.19.12 3:06pm
maybe that community could help me with installing android on my touchpad.
By hugoooo on 12.19.12 3:14pm
Oh yes. Did you guys discuss when you’re going to pull the plug on the machine? I know it’s tough.
By Good_ole_Pinocchio on 12.19.12 3:16pm
Do you guys get together with the Maemo group to share a pizza?
By Minjin on 12.19.12 6:13pm
I think he’s jut tired.
By DTMD on 12.19.12 7:21pm
Whoa. We got a badass over here.
By karamgrewal on 02.18.13 6:35pm
Btw, Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 are Qi-compatible
By TheDebugger on 12.19.12 3:06pm
Surprised it took this long to get this technology into a car.
By Webran61 on 12.19.12 3:07pm
I’m sure all the grandparents who would buy this car will appreciate the wireless charging.
By Jrlweb on 12.19.12 3:08pm
I was thinking the same thing. Shouldn’t this be in the Scion line which I’m sure has far more users of the listed handsets?
By bacaramac on 12.19.12 3:22pm
yes because grandparents who can afford brand new cars can’t afford brand new smartphones /s
in fact I think everyone will appreciate things like this..
on another note.. why an iphone to demonstrate? surely an L920 or a Nexus would have been considerably more apt?
By Sharpmango on 12.19.12 3:33pm
Because this is The Verge, that is all.
By samoanbiscuit on 12.19.12 6:02pm
This is great news. Hopefully everyone will follow. Excellent !
By dsignori on 12.19.12 3:34pm
The elderly applaud you, Toyota.
By Mr. Resetti on 12.19.12 3:48pm
The funny thing is that they put an iPhone in the pic. The phone that doesn’t have wireless charging
By Sorr on 12.19.12 3:53pm
It’s an iPhone blog here 75% of the time. Seriously.
:(
By tN0 on 12.19.12 4:34pm
Remember, you’re reading the Verge. This is nothing new.
By MikeZL on 12.19.12 4:39pm
The iPhone in the picture is using a Qi-compatible sleeve.
By AZalumni on 12.19.12 4:57pm
didn’t the Dodge Dart have this already?
By antmn on 12.19.12 3:53pm
IIRC, the Dart’s is dealer-installed while the one comes built-in from the factory.
Also, Chrysler never mentioned what charging standard the Dart’s mat used, whereas the headline for this is entirely accurate: it’s the first car to have a built-in Qi-compatible charging mat.
By lolstebbo on 12.19.12 3:57pm
The Dart uses the Qi standard
By low_tech on 12.19.12 4:34pm
The Dart does not use the Qi standard. If you watch the video Chrysler released, it relies on metallic pins on the case to contact metallic strips on the pad. Similar to PureEnergy.
By AZalumni on 12.19.12 4:53pm
[citation needed]
By lolstebbo on 12.19.12 5:24pm