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In a bid to make wireless charging more accessible, Samsung is planning to bring the feature to its mid-range smartphone lineup, as per a recent report by ET News. The report informs that the Korean company is planning to bridge the gap between its premium and mid-to-low line of smartphones and the inclusion of wireless charging in lower-priced handsets will be a step in that direction. Until now, the advanced charging solution has stayed limited to flagship smartphones, not only from Samsung but also from many other known brands. Samsung’s Galaxy A and Galaxy J series, which cater to the mid-range and entry-level market segments respectively, are said to benefit the most from this decision. This will help Samsung gain an edge over its competitions, especially in emerging markets, where it has been losing its grip lately to the Chinese players.
To propel the adoption of Qi-based chargers, Samsung is also reportedly working on a low-cost product that will cost 20,000 won, or less than $20, which is a fraction of what other Samsung-branded wireless chargers cost. The report does add that the reduction in price wouldn’t necessarily translate to decline in charging speed, in fact, the upcoming charger is said to feature the same 9W output that the current models offer. However, newer high-end devices from the South Korean smartphone maker support much higher charging speeds of up to 15W using tetherless means despite the first-party charger maxing out at 9W. Wireless charging has traditionally been slower than wired solutions but its added convenience of just placing the phone on a pad to have it charged eclipses the higher speeds of wired chargers.
Samsung’s suppliers have already started to manufacture parts required for the new wireless charger which should be out sooner than later, the report suggests. The company is holding a launch event next Thursday where a new mid-tier smartphone is expected to go official and it also seems to be an ideal time for the introduction of this $20 charger, though a confirmation is still awaited. In the recent times, Samsung appears to have started focusing more on its mid-range lineups, especially the Galaxy A series, which has received many features prior to the top-tier handsets. For example, the recently announced Galaxy A7 (2018) came sporting a triple-camera setup, a feature that is expected to appear next on the Galaxy S10 Plus, though their image quality may vastly differ.