In May, we wrote about a partnership between Motorola and GuRu Wireless to develop a wireless charging system Such a setup could charge a cell phone without wires or Qi compatible pads, instead helping the phone's battery slowly increase as long as it is within range of the charging device

A few months later, Motorola unveiled the first concept of this charging device Motorola calls it simply "Over-the-Air Wireless Power" in the demo video below and "Space Charging" on the company's Weibo account This is just the first step in this new technology, and it is exciting to see where it goes from here

Three meters is an appropriate distance, but the phone must be placed within the charger's 100-degree field of view This is still a wide effective range, but it would not cover the entire room It is possible that the range and angle will be extended in a future version, but that remains to be seen For now, this is a really exciting concept

Of course, the maximum wattage will be quite limited at first When we spoke to GuRu Wireless earlier this year, they said that the charging rate would be 5-10 watts, depending on the distance from the charging device Motorola has not fully disclosed the charging speed of the concept device, but my guess is that it would be in the range that GuRu mentioned in our conversation

The device can charge up to four separate phones This is accomplished by a vast array of 1,600 antennas that distribute the wireless charging signal Obstacles such as hands or pockets are not in the way

We contacted Motorola for further explanation of the device, the technology, and possible limitations, but had not heard back by the time this article was published If we do hear back, we will post an update

Motorola has not indicated when this technology will hit store shelves or even when phones supporting this technology will be available