We’ve said this before. A lot of people have. And although it needs to be said with as many grains of salt and as much caution as possible, it still needs to be said – wireless charging for smartphones and tablets could become a reality for mainstream users as soon as this year.

Two years ago at CES, the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) booth looked like one of those cellphone case stands you’d find in the center of the aisle at your local mall. This year, the WPC’s booth was in the exact same location, but this time it looked like the rest of the mall: a café next to a home appliance store next to a mattress store.

That underlines the shift in approach for the wireless charging industry. The companies that are using the technology are making inroads with large consumer-facing companies, which will start offering the technology to their smartphone-wielding customers.

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