This Tiny Booth At CES Features One Of The Most Important Smartphone Innovations Yet

There's a tiny booth outside the CES press room –– not even on the show floor, mind you –– for something called Qi.

You've probably never heard of Qi.

But if you buy a new smartphone this year, you'll probably end up using it. (It's pronounced chee, by the way.)

Qi is the wireless charging standard for mobile devices. Just rest your phone on a special charging pad, and it'll start powering up. There's no need to lug cords and adapters around with you.

The most prominent gadget using Qi today is Nokia's flagship Windows Phone, the Lumia 920. Other newly-released phones like HTC's Windows Phone 8x and Droid DNA use Qi too.

Based on what sources at other smartphone manufacturers have told us, wireless charging will become a standard feature in top-tier smartphones this year, although the next iPhone may be the exception.