Energous Spikes 17% After BGR Calls Co. An iPhone Game-Changer

Shares of Energous Corp WATT were trading higher by 17 percent Wednesday morning after BGR suggested that its wireless charging technology could prove to be a game-changer for Apple Inc. AAPL's future iPhone devices.

Shares traded recently at $5.97, up 7.2 percent on the day.

According to BGR's Zach Epstein, one of the most "exciting" companies that he saw at the CES 2015 event was Energous. The company has built a wireless charging device that is able to charge any device from distance of up to 15 feet.

Epstein noted that any device that has a Energous receiver chip can be charged and the chip itself is so small that it doesn't add any thickness to the device.

"Think about what that means," Epstein wrote. "With an Energous transmitter in your office, your phone will constantly be charging even while it's in your pocket as you sit at your desk and work. With a transmitter in your living room, your phone will charge while it sits on the couch beside you."

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BGR's report is consistent with a similar piece by Mac Rumors which was dated February 5. Mac Rumors cited a report by Disruptive Tech Research's Louis Basenese who said Energous signed an agreement with one of five consumer electronic companies: Apple, Samsung Electronics, HP Inc HPQ, Microsoft Corporation MSFT and Hitachi.

"From that list, we can easily eliminate HP and Hitachi, as they don't make phones," Mac rumors quoted Basenese as saying in the research report. "Since Samsung makes its own chips and Energous is working with Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR) TSM, we can cross it off the list, leaving only Apple and Microsoft. In reality, though, Microsoft is an also-ran in the mobile phone market and rumored to be exiting it. So we're left with one company. Of course, the identity will remain a mystery, as Apple's notorious about insisting on secrecy with partners and employees."

'Here's Where It Gets Interesting'

Epstein suggested in his report that there is a "good amount of evidence" to conclude Energous has landed a "major" partnership with Apple. He added that Apple may have secured an exclusive deal to bring its products to future iPhone devices. In fact, this could represent the "biggest technological advancement" in smartphones since the release of the very first iPhone back in 2007.

However, Apple fanatics shouldn't get their hopes up, at least not just yet. Epstein stated that it is unlikely the iPhone 7 will include wireless charging technology, but could it "isn't unthinkable" to conclude that it will be available within the next two years.