Inductive charging plates have been around for some time, and have been selling points on a number of handsets, notably the Palm Pre and its Touchstone charger.

FORBES: Qi Wins Wireless Charging Battle With Nexus 4 and Windows Phone 8 Support

But the agreement of an open standard in 2008 by the Wireless Power Consortium (which has over 100 members, including Nokia, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Huawei, Motorola Mobility, and Belkin) offered the possibility of universal charging plates that could be used by any handset which followed the Qi standard.

FORBES: Qi Wins Wireless Charging Battle With Nexus 4 and Windows Phone 8 Support

It also supports wireless charging, allowing users to recharge their phones using a Fatboy charging pillow, as well as stands and plates from other partners.

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