Despite being around for years in lesser forms (like electric toothbrushes), wireless charging is still in its infancy. We’ve just recently seen the release of wireless charging pads and cell phones, which are far from perfect, and (at this time) are more so designed for convenience than offering any significant benefits. Although wireless charging technology is still in its faulty initial stages, it hasn’t stopped industry consumers, enthusiasts, and analysts from speculating how wireless charging will take on its next form.
Unbeknownst to most people, wireless charging has expanded beyond cell phones, and been around longer than you might think. Over the summer, technology conglomerate Dell Inc. unveiled the Latitude 7285, which they describe as the world’s first wirelessly charging laptop.
The laptop’s wireless charging capabilities however, can be added to the laptop at an additional cost, giving the device multiple pricing options. The laptop uses a 7285 wireless charging keyboard (developed by WiTricity), which utilizes magnetic resonance charging to power the laptop without the inconvenience of having to attach a wire.
The Latitude 7285’s Intel Core i5, i7 CPU, 128 Gb, or 256 Gb solid state disk, eight or 16 Gb of RAM, and other essentials lie behind a 2880 x 1920 touchscreen that can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet. The 12-inch detachable 2-in-1 was first announced back in CES in 2017, and has been available to consumers since August.
The detachable keyboard however, is sold separately as a wireless charging base. It’s worth noting the keyboard cannot be charged beforehand, and the laptop’s charging pad isn’t designed to be used on any metal surfaces. The pad must be elevated at least two inches from a metal surface on a non-metallic stand.
The Latitude 7285 has been available since August, and is available for $1199.99, with the wireless charging keyboard and mat available for $549.99. As mentioned earlier, the wireless charging benefits for the Latitude 7285 aren’t significant, but fall in the convenience category for the time being.
Considering how this is the world’s first wireless charging laptop, there certainly is a very high ceiling in terms of the device’s potential growth, and expansion from cellphones to laptops can have an immense impact on the developmental research that’s going into improving this technology for the future.
