For many a year there has been a bunfight over what standard to adopt. There is still no agreement but QI is looking like emerging as the winner as it now has over 200 companies like Sony and IKEA backing it:
Qi, (pronounced chee) coming from the Chinese word meaning "natural energy", is an interface standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium for inductive electrical power transfer over distances of up to 4 cm (1.6 inches).The Qi system comprises a power transmission pad and a compatible receiver in a portable device. To use the system, the mobile device is placed on top of the power transmission pad, which charges it via resonant inductive coupling.
Mobile device manufacturers that are working with the standard include Asus, HTC, Huawei, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry. The Wireless Power Consortium was established in 2008, and is an open-membership cooperation of Asian, European, and American companies in various manufacturing industries. The consortium aims to create a global standard for inductive charging technology.
Many worry about the potential health impacts but it's not an issue with this type of charging as its very low level and very focussed. It may be a different story with wifi, mobile phones and some other types of wireless charging but we, the general public, don't seem to be too bothered by them yet.
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