The Wireless Power Consortium has launched version 1.0 of its interoperability standard to promote wireless charging for portable devices.
Branded Qi (pronounced 'chee'), the standard covers specific types of inductive charging.
"The consortium views interoperability as a key growth driver for the wireless charging market," said the Consortium. "Qi interoperability reduces the risk of market fragmentation with incompatible products."
The Consortium has over 50 members, including Nokia and Blackberry firm Research in Motion, and is now working on a standard for medium power devices including netbooks and power tools.
However standardised, wireless inductive charging faces an up-hill struggle against the almost universal adoption of the micro-USB connector as the charging (and headset) connector for phones following the work of the Open Mobile Terminal Platform group, of which Nokia is also a member along with Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG.