The world's best performing Qi charger
PopSockets Partners with NuCurrent to Launch the World’s Most Innovative Wireless Charging Solution
Leading mobile accessories brand PopSockets has seen tremendous growth in just a few years, landing them the #2 position on Inc. Magazine’s 2018 list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies. As mobile phones become larger and more difficult to manage, its eye-catching grip enhancers have become almost ubiquitous — including the flagship PopGrips product, which sells more than 100M units annually around the world.
Mobile phone users are increasingly embracing wireless charging technology. However, in order to charge safely and comply with Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and Qi standards, the maximum separation between the transmitter coil (in the charger) and the receiver coil (in the phone) was previously limited to just 5mm.
As a result, traditional wireless charging pads and docks are incompatible with PopSockets grips. Accessories like PopSockets — and even thick phone cases — create additional separation between the phone and charger, making wireless charging ineffective while the grip is attached. And unfortunately, repeated removal of the PopSockets grip weakens the adhesive, making it more likely to fall off.
PopSockets internal innovation team, PopLabs, identified an opportunity to develop PopSockets wireless charging for users of their PopGrips product. But as a relatively new company primarily focused on plastics manufacturing, they lacked the internal expertise to break into the electronics space.
As a young company that’s trying to get into its first electronics product, we had a couple of avenues that we could choose from. We reached out to NuCurrent because they’re one of the leaders in wireless power. It’s like bringing on a full electrical engineering team instantly.
PopSockets partnered with NuCurrent to design and develop a Qi-certified wireless charger that works in conjunction with PopSocket grips. Working as an extension of the PopSockets R&D team, NuCurrent’s elite team of engineers applied their wireless power expertise to the issue.
NuCurrent also introduced the PopSockets team to an electronics manufacturing partner, to ensure the new product would be in-market as quickly as possible.
Within 17 months of kicking off the project, they were able to:
Design a new wireless transmitter architecture, called MP-A17, which extends the maximum allowable distance between the phone and charger from 5mm to 15mm;
Advance the new design through the WPC standards committee — a process that would be daunting for a new electronics manufacturer with no prior experience in wireless power; and
Develop an innovative “drop-and-go” product design, with a donut-like recess in the center to accommodate the PopSockets grip and keep the phone ideally positioned while charging.
“Engaging with [NuCurrent] was a great experience. Not only do they have awesome engineers and a great company, the people are really fun to work with.”