CES 2022: Samsung unveils TV remotes with new charging option

Samsung again provides the technology world with a new idea of how remote controls could be supplied with the necessary energy in the future. After the South Koreans already presented their remote control with its own solar panel, another model of the so-called “Eco Remote” now follows. In its latest prank, Samsung wants to convert the WiFi signal into energy without further ado.

“RF Harvesting” also possible in Germany

Samsung is not the first company to develop ideas based on so-called RF harvesting. This involves harvesting beams from frequencies, as it were, in order to obtain energy. However, this possibility often fails in this country due to the limits imposed by the law.

Thus, in the frequency of 2.4 GHz, only 100 milliwatts of radiated power may be emitted. At the 5 GHz frequency, on the other hand, the maximum is 4,000 milliwatts. Certainly, this cannot (yet) be used to charge a smartphone battery. However, this should be perfectly sufficient for a mini-battery like the one usually used in a conventional TV remote control.

Environmentally friendly remote controls

Samsung’s Eco Remotes are by no means a little marketing stunt that the South Koreans have come up with for CES 2022. Instead, the tech company wants to do a little bit to save on conventional batteries. A sample calculation of the company makes it clear that this could be worthwhile. Samsung, for example, says that it would save around 99 million AAA batteries if it only used Eco Remotes over a period of seven years.

Three different charging options

Should one not feel like using the solar panel or RF harvesting of the eco-friendly remote, there should also be an alternative option. Samsung says that the built-in battery can of course also be charged via USB-C without any problems. And that’s not all, if the company has its way.

Finally, battery experts are working at full speed on other ways to make the remote control independent of conventional AAA batteries. One example would be to use the kinetic energy that the user produces by waving a remote control back and forth. If you are planning to buy a new TV anyway, you might want to wait for Samsung’s premium lineup for 2022. These are already supposed to come with the brand-new Eco Remote.