Keyssa and Intel already unveiled chips late in 2016 that could be embedded in laptops and convertibles for fast wireless transfers. The latest alliance with Samsung and Foxconn, by contrast, aims to put such chips in smartphones and other mobile devices. Along with mobile and PC transfers, they could also be installed in TVs, making it possible to play a movie from a smartphone by placing it nearby.

The tech fits in "coffee bean-sized connector" and uses an extremely high frequency (EHF) carrier to transport data over short distances through air or plastic. On laptops, the wireless tech will work at up to 5Gbps, the same speed as first-gen USB Type-C. Keyssa and its partners haven't specified speeds for mobile devices yet, however.

The tech is still pretty new, so it's unlikely to be in your next device. However, the Essential Phone, due to arrive on Friday with Sprint, will have a "magnetic connector with wireless data transfer," the company says. Reuters pointed out that Playground Global, owned by Essential designer and CEO Andy Rubin, is also an investor in Keyssa.

Whether it's widely adopted or not might depend on the cost. Keyssa says it has filed over 250 patents on the tech, so tech companies thinking of adopting it will obviously be looking at licensing fees. Nevertheless, the fact that both Samsung and Apple supplier Foxconn are both on board is a positive sign.