Wireless charging is wonderfully convenient, doing away with the need to fiddle with cables and plug your device in. But it's slow, and with modern phones offering fast charging, wireless power is the weak alternative.

However, the Wireless Power Consortium has just announced that the new Qi standard will get bumped in power output. Currently Qi chargers kick out 5 watts, but that's going to be tripled to 15 watts for faster charging.

This should help narrow the gap between plonking your phone on a wireless charging pad and plugging it in, making the quick top-up more fulfilling for your phone.

The new specifications outlined by the Wireless Power Consortium will mean there's a standard for manufacturers of Qi devices to adhere to for compatibility across devices. Yes, if you want faster wireless charging you'll have to buy a new wireless charging pad, although it will be compatible with existing devices - so a new charger will charge any Qi devices you have.

What's not clear currently is if existing devices will benefit from faster charging speeds - the Samsung Galaxy S6 for example - or whether there will need to be changes in the recipient device hardware too. We've asked WPC to clarify this point.

There's no word on when we'll be seeing this new generation of wireless chargers, but it looks like we're in for a quick charging future.

READ: Future batteries, coming soon: charge in seconds, last months and power over the air