Renesas Electronics and Qualcomm Collaborate to Accelerate the Adoption of Wireless Charging in Mainstream Smartphones

TOKYO, Japan, April 14, 2021 - Renesas Electronics Corporation, a global supplier of semiconductor solutions, today announced that it has expanded its collaboration with Qualcomm, a leader in wireless technology, to provide 30W wireless charging capabilities for mid-range smartphones equipped with the latest Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 780G 5G mobile platform. This is the second time the two companies have collaborated on a high-power wireless charging smartphone reference design. The first joint solution designed for flagship models is now in commercial sampling. This collaboration is an important step for two global companies, Renesas and Qualcomm, to join forces to expand highly integrated advanced wireless charging as a standard feature of 5G smartphones from flagship models to mainstream models.

New reference design delivers superior wireless charging for mass-market devices;

Solutions for 5G smartphones available now

The turnkey solution provided by Qualcomm 5G mobile reference design is designed to help smartphone OEMs achieve low-cost wireless fast charging in flagship and mid-range models, and has multiple programmable (MTP) and OTA update functions to simplify software development and Qi certification processes. Renesas solutions provide ultra-high integration with an end-to-end system efficiency of more than 85%, which helps expand the coverage of wireless charging technology to a wider customer base and simplify the process of adding wireless charging functions.

“We are pleased to strengthen our collaboration with Qualcomm to jointly develop advanced wireless charging solutions and open, reliable wireless power products to accelerate mass production,” said Amit Bavisi, Vice President and General Manager of Wireless Power Division, Mobile Infrastructure and IoT Power Business Unit, Renesas Electronics. “The combination of Renesas’ highly integrated 30W technology and Qualcomm’s cutting-edge 5G technology aims to provide OEMs with a turnkey solution with efficient wireless charging capabilities, providing wireless fast charging technology for the next generation of mid-range smartphones.”

“Through our collaboration with Renesas, we are committed to creating a more seamless wireless user experience,” said Ev Roach, vice president of product marketing at Qualcomm. “In the future, we will continue to work together to develop turnkey wireless fast charging solutions for mainstream mobile devices.”

The Renesas P9412 wireless power receiver is the industry's first 30W power receiver with a high-voltage integrated capacitive divider, which is more energy efficient than traditional solutions and 40% smaller, freeing up PCB space for customers to add other functions. For a safe and fast charging experience, a customized high-power protocol is embedded in the device firmware, allowing the system to verify 15W power transmission exceeding the WPC EPP standard definition. Renesas WattshareTM technology can also enable mobile devices to be used as a power source for reverse wireless charging of accessories in the ecosystem, such as headphones and smart watches.

Renesas Electronics is a global supplier of wireless power solutions, including power receivers (PRx) for smartphones and other applications, and power transmitters (PTx) for charging pads and automotive applications.