Aside from unveiling its brand new TV models at CES 2020, Samsung has also confirmed it developed a truly wireless TV that doesn't require to be plugged into a wall socket. Instead, the TV transfers electrical current wirelessly, and it seems to do so using magnetic resonance wireless charging technology or similar.
Samsung revealed that its proof-of-concept can receive electrical current from a distance of up to 2 meters from the power supply.
Wireless Samsung TV is real, but it's not coming to CES 2020
Rumors of Samsung developing a truly cordless TV emerged early last year when a patent revealed the base concept. As usual, patent applications may or may not translate into real products, but this time around, Samsung seems to be serious about turning this concept into reality.
This mysterious wireless Samsung TV already exists, according to the president of Samsung's Visual Display division, Hang Jong-hee, cited by the Yonhap News Agency. He revealed more about the project at CES and confirmed that the proof-of-concept will not be shown at the event in Las Vegas this year as it would require ‘some construction work on the walls.'
Of course, it would be silly to think that the CES show floor and infrastructure are the main reasons why this groundbreaking product isn't part of Samsung's presentation this year. Especially considering the fact that Samsung has the largest CES booth on site. The real reason, judging by Hang Jong-hee's words, is that there's still work to be done before the truly wireless TV will be ready for the consumer market.
‘Wireless power transfer currently shows poor power efficiency to turn on the TV‘ he said, adding that if the product would be released to the public today, it would require customers to solve said power issues on their own. Evidently, this is not a viable strategy, so the company will keep working on improving and developing related technologies that are needed to turn this concept into a consumer-grade device.
The wireless Samsung TV can sit at a distance of up to 2m from its power source
Samsung didn't reveal a lot about the underlying technology that goes into this future product, but Hang Jong-hee confirmed that the current proof-of-concept TV model can be powered while sitting at a distance of up to 2 meters from the power supply. This suggests that it may be using magnetic resonance technology or a variation of it.
Magnetic resonance wireless charging technology allows compatible devices to recharge without having to make contact with a charging pad/coil. In other words, they can be recharged from a distance. But there are shortcomings to this method, particularly in regards to energy efficiency. This is one of the reasons why magnetic resonance wireless charging is not yet as prevalent as magnetic induction wireless charging, the latter of which is used in our smartphones today.
There's no telling when Samsung will be ready to showcase its first truly wireless TV to the public, but progress is being made and it's refreshing to see that the company is confident enough in its development to at least confirm the product's existence. We might not be too far away from a truly wireless future, and it's quite exciting to think of all the possibilities that it can bring.
