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Here's how Samsung plans to make wireless charging more accessible
- Samsung could make wireless charging more affordable.
- Mid-range Galaxy A series phones are expected to get the feature.
- Samsung is reportedly hoping this will help offset sliding flagship demand.
Samsung’s Galaxy A series is its most popular smartphone range right now and it looks like it could become even more capable in the future. According to a new report by The Elec, Samsung is planning to expand wireless charging to its more affordable A series phones in order to stay competitive.
Right now, only the higher-end Galaxy A90 with the Snapdragon 855 chipset supports wireless charging, apart from the Galaxy S and Note series flagships. However, people familiar with the matter told The Elec that Samsung might soon bring the feature to the more affordable Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A70 lines.
This will likely happen on phones succeeding the Galaxy A51 5G and Galaxy A71 5G because even those two don’t support wireless charging.
Samsung’s decision to make wireless charging more accessible was reportedly taken with a view to offset the sliding demand for its flagships. Given that Apple’s iPhone SE also includes wireless charging in the sub-$500 segment, it only makes sense for Samsung to offer the same.
So when can you expect wireless charging on more affordable Samsung phones? The 2021 Galaxy A models slated to launch in Q4 2020 are prime candidates for the feature, says the report.
Samsung could reportedly strike a deal for wireless charging modules with South Korea-based Hansol Technics or Amotech. India-based Chemtronics, which provided wireless charging systems for the Galaxy S20, is also apparently in the running. However, Samsung still needs to tackle price negotiations with these companies to bring down the per-unit cost of the modules.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about Samsung expanding the reach of wireless charging to cheaper phones. The move was first reported on in 2018 when Samsung confirmed that it’s working on reducing the gap between mid-range and premium phones. While the Galaxy A series has already addressed that to a large extent, increased efforts by Samsung wouldn’t be in vain with the likes of the Pixel 4a and OnePlus Z on the horizon.