Xiaomi Air Charge Technology: How Air Charging Works and Should You Trust It?

Introduction: Is the future without wires here?

Wireless charging is no longer a curiosity — it’s in almost every mid-range and premium smartphone today. But Xiaomi has gone further, introducing Mi Air Charge, a revolutionary technology in 2021 that allows you to charge devices up to a few meters away without physical contact with a charging station.

In this article, we’ll look at how Xiaomi’s air charging works, what devices support it, what limitations are there today, and whether it’s worth waiting for mass adoption. If you’re tired of confusing wires or dreaming of a fully wireless future, this is the stuff for you.

Spoiler: The technology is far from perfect, but its potential is impressive, and some nuances (such as charging speed or device positioning requirements) may come as a surprise even to Xiaomi’s power users.

The principle of operation of Mi Air Charge: physics behind the magnesium

The Mi Air Charge is based on spatial energy transmission technology, which is radically different from traditional wireless charging Qi. If standard wireless charging uses electromagnetic induction (where the device should lie on the site), then energy is transmitted through directional radio waves.

How this works in practice:

• 📡 The charging station (transmitter) contains 144 antennas that form a narrowly directed microwave beam of radiation.
• 📱 The receiver (built into a smartphone or accessory) has 5 antennas that capture energy and convert it into electric current.
• 🎯 The system automatically determines the position of the device in space and focuses the beam on it, avoiding energy loss.

The key difference from Qi is that there is no need to put the gadget on the site, it is enough that it is within the range of the station (up to 5 meters in the laboratory, but the real range is less), while the technology is safe for humans – the frequencies used and the radiation power meet international standards (for example, FCC or CE).

Interestingly, Xiaomi is not the first company to experiment with such technology. Back in 2017, Energous introduced a similar WattUp solution, but it never got widespread due to low efficiency.

Charging speed and real indicators

This is where the first disappointments begin. Despite the revolutionary approach, the air charging speed is still far below even standard wireless Qi. In the 2021 presentation, Xiaomi announced the following indicators:

For comparison: modern Xiaomi smartphones support wired charging of 120-200 watts (for example, Redmi Note 12 Turbo charges in 19 minutes), and wireless Qi gives 50-80 watts. 5 watts is a charging level from a weak one. USB-portage.

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If you need fast charging, the Mi Air Charge won’t replace wired or even standard wireless solutions yet, and the best scenario is to maintain your charge levels throughout the day (e.g., on a desktop).

Why is it so slow? It's about physical limitations.

• ⚡ Energy losses during air transmission are up to 70-80% (vs. 20-30% in Qi).
• 🔋 Radiation power is limited by safety standards - you can not exceed the permissible levels of the microwave background.
• 📏 Distance is inversely proportional to efficiency: the further the device, the weaker the signal.

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Today, the Mi Air Charge is a recharge technology, not a full charge technology, and is suitable for maintaining battery levels throughout the day, but not for quick energy recovery.

Compatibility: Which devices support Air Charge

As of 2026, the Mi Air Charge remains an exclusive technology, with limited support, and here is a complete list of devices that are officially compatible with air charging:

• 📱 Smartphones: Only prototype based on Xiaomi Mi 11 (2021) Production models do not support technology.
• 🎧 Headphones: Xiaomi Mi Air Charge Earbuds (special version, not sold at retail).
• ⌚ Smartwatch: Experimental Mi Watch models with receiver module (test only).
• 💡 Smart home: Some prototypes of Xiaomi Smart Home sensors (e.g. wireless temperature sensors).

The main problem is that there is no universal standard. Unlike Qi, which is supported by thousands of devices (from iPhone to Samsung), Mi Air Charge only works with gadgets equipped with a special receiver from Xiaomi.

• ❌ Your current smartphone won’t be able to charge by air, even if you buy a station.
• ❌ Accessories from other brands (such as AirPods or Galaxy Buds) are incompatible.
• ✅ The only way to try out the technology is to buy exclusive Xiaomi devices with Air Charge support.

Is there any hope for the future? In 2023, Xiaomi patented a new version of the technology with improved efficiency, but there are no announcements yet about its commercial use. Perhaps the next generation of Mi Mix or Xiaomi 15 will receive support for Air Charge 2.0 — but that’s just speculation.

Positioning Requirements: Why Device Location Is Critical

One of the key limitations of the Mi Air Charge is that it needs to position the device accurately relative to the charging station, and unlike Qi, where you just put your smartphone on the platform, it's important to:

• 📏 Distance: optimally - 1-1.5 meters. At a distance of 2+ Meter speed drops 3-5 times.
• 🎯 Inclination angle: the receiver should be directed towards the transmitter. If the smartphone is lying down, the charging may be interrupted.
• 🚫 Obstacles: walls, furniture, or even the human body block the signal.

In practice, this means that:

• ✅ Ideal scenario: the station on the table, the smartphone lies next to (in a radius of 50 cm) screen up.
• ❌ Bad scenario: You walk around a room with your phone in your pocket – charging will be intermittent or even impossible.

Make sure there are no obstacles between the station and the gadget.|Place your smartphone/earphones within a 1 meter radius|Point the receiver (back panel of the device) towards the station|Do not cover the antennas with your hands or covers.|Use only original Xiaomi accessories-->

An interesting nuance: in the prototypes, Xiaomi used multibeamforming technology, which allows the station to "track" the movement of the device within the room, but in real conditions this does not work perfectly - when you move quickly, communication can be lost.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to use the Mi Air Charge for smartwatches or headphones, keep in mind that they must be stationary while charging. For example, if you wear headphones around the apartment, charging will stop.

Safety: Myths and Realities about Health Impacts

One of the biggest fears users have is the effects of microwave radiation on the body, and let's see if that's a valid concern.

Facts about Mi Air Charge safety:

• 🛡️ The frequencies used (2.4–5.8 GHz) are non-ionizing radiation, the same type as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
• 📊 Radiation power of the station (~100 MW) 1,000 times lower than a microwave oven and comparable to a router.
• 🏥 Research WHO and FCC No evidence of long-term harm from such waves (if the standards are met).

But there are nuances:

• 🔋 Heating the device: When charging through the air, the smartphone or headphones can heat up more than with Qi. This is normal, but it is undesirable to keep the gadget near the body during the process.
• 🐶 Impact on pets: No evidence of harm, but if your pet is sleeping near the station, it’s best to turn it off overnight.
• 👶 Children and pregnant women: While the risks are minimal, Xiaomi recommends keeping the distance 30+ see.

By comparison, a conventional Wi-Fi router emits between 20 and 100 MW of radiation all the time, while the Mi Air Charge station only emits during charging (directionally, not all directions), so the risks are no higher than when using wireless Internet.

⚠️ Warning: If you notice that during charging through the air, the smartphone overheats (above 45)°C, immediately interrupt the process, this may indicate a malfunction of the receiver or station.°C.

Technology Prospects: When Will Air Charging Be Massive?

Now, the Mi Air Charge is still a limited-use experimental technology, but it has tremendous potential, and that's what's stopping it from being widely adopted.

Experts predict that full-scale air charging may not become mainstream until 2027-2030.

• 🔋 Competition with ultra-fast wired charging (already 300W solutions available).
• 📱 Improved battery capacity (graphene batteries can make wireless charging less relevant).
• 🌍 Environmental regulations: The massive use of microwave transmitters may require new regulations.

Xiaomi is not the only company working on the technology, however: Samsung, Oppo and even Apple have patented similar solutions, and we may see a universal standard similar to Qi for remote charging in the coming years.

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So far, Mi Air Charge is a technology of the future with limited practical applications, and its main value today is to demonstrate the possibilities, not to make a real difference to users.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions