June 18, 2014 – Broadcom, a global leader in wired and wireless semiconductors, announced today the launch of a new multi-standard smartphone power management unit (PMU) that supports Rezence™ technology and is compatible with existing onboard standards. This enables manufacturers to produce complete end-to-end wireless charging solutions with broad compatibility when combined with Broadcom's WICED smart SoC family and software for charging pads.

Broadcom's high-performance BCM59350 wireless charging PMU is equipped with a feature that automatically selects specifications from the leading wireless charging standard associations, A4WP (Alliance for Wireless Power), PMA (Power Matters Alliance), and WPC (Wireless Power Consortium), to provide flexibility for OEMs. A4WP uses magnetic resonance technology called Regens to enable consumers to conveniently drop and charge devices (Drop-To-Go), and allows multiple devices to be charged on a single charging pad without precise placement or alignment.

Reinier van der Lee, Director of Mobile Platform at Broadcom, said, “Broadcom’s new wireless charging technology enables device manufacturers to create multi-standard wireless power receivers, which not only alleviates consumer confusion but also realizes the benefits of RegenS technology. By providing a complete package that includes compatible wireless charging, leading mobile connectivity, and WICED smart technology for charging pads, Broadcom is able to streamline the development process and provide customers with a fully interoperable ecosystem.”

Regen leverages the advantages of Bluetooth, which is widely used in mobile and wearable devices, to use Bluetooth Smart technology as a reliable communication channel between a smartphone and a charging pad. By utilizing Broadcom’s leading Combo Connectivity technology, mobile device manufacturers can easily add multi-standard wireless charging capabilities, simplify development, and accelerate time-to-market with the best smartphone platform design.

Ryan Sanderson, Director of Power Supply and Storage Components at market research firm IHS, stated, “Demand for wireless charging will skyrocket within five years.” He added, “IHS expects shipments of devices equipped with wireless charging capabilities to reach $5,000 in 2014 and over $900 million in 2018. This means that the wireless power receiver and transmitter market will be valued at $8.5 million in 2018.”