It’s an unlikely combination, but one that should have both Samsung fans and Ikea fans rejoicing. Ikea and Samsung have teamed up to bring North America and Europe Ikea furniture that also acts as a wireless charging station for various devices.

The Idea

The new Ikea furniture will include wireless charging stations that use Qi technology. Qi technology is easily one of the most universal wireless charging options out there, so the Ikea furniture will work with any phone or other device that does use this tech.

The Ikea furniture will launch in April, which happens to coincide with the launch of Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones. The two companies are pairing up when it comes to the introduction of the new furniture and phone models, and various press releases tie the two companies together.

Qi Technology Details

What is Qi (pronounced ‘chee’) technology? A group of technology powerhouses is behind the Qi specification. Those companies include Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Verizon, and many other big players. The concept behind Qi is inductive coupling, which essentially means that devices in contact with each other power one another. But, it gets a lot more complex than that, and the whole concept goes back to Nikola Tesla.

The companies behind Qi want people to be able to charge devices quickly and on the go. The concept here is to make charging anything from a phone to a tablet simple by offering wireless charging options in places like cafes and restaurants and even gas stations. Currently, more than 692 products on the market use this technology. Most of those products are in the form of cell phone cases that charge phones and small tablets that act as charging stations. Ikea is the first company to include wireless charging through Qi in furniture.

Future Furniture

Ikea might be incorporating wireless technology into home furniture for now, but this development has massive implications for the future too. With the introduction of wireless charging furniture stations comes future possibilities for things like bar tops with wireless charging stations, kitchen counters, cafe tables, and a whole lot more. Entire buildings and walls could one day operate as wireless charging stations.

All of this technology has been in play for some time now, but Ikea is the first company to introduce wireless charging in the form of home furniture. The furniture will be available in North America and Europe this April, though which types of furniture the company will put out remains to be announced.

If you ever get frustrated with the lack of wireless charging options, or being able to, say, charge your phone when you watch TV without having to walk into the other room to find your charging plate, make sure to keep your eye on Ikea. Whether or not this furniture will last, and how much it will cost will be interesting to find out as well. Stay tuned for more information about Ikea's latest venture into the wireless world.