Samsung's new monitor can wirelessly charge your smartphone

When Samsung integrated wireless charging into its flagship Galaxy 6 smartphone line, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the company integrated wireless charging stations into the rest of its products. The first major step toward this direction is Samsung's new SE370 monitor, which integrates a Qi-based charging station into the monitor's stand. The monitor comes in 23.6- and 27in varieties with full 1080p resolution.

Innovation in the computer monitor space has largely been an exercise in increasing resolution or novel screen sizes. Examples of these are ultra-wide monitors that replicate multidisplay setups without the second monitor. Other differentiators have come from GPU makers such as NVIDIA with G-Sync and AMD with FreeSync. Makers have created hardware components designed to maximize gaming frame rate although the standards are incompatible, which brought a problem for consumers. On that note, it is interesting that the SE370 supports the FreeSync standard.

If more devices include compatibility in wireless charging receivers, it may be a valuable way for monitor makers to differentiate their products and potentially shorten replacement cycles. Integrating this capability into office furniture and electronics such as monitors seems like an intuitive and logical way to do so.

See a comparison table of selected computer monitor suppliers on GlobalSources.com