Wireless charging has thus far been a niche technology, making an appearance in only a small number of handsets and accessories. But it could finally venture into the big leagues as early as next year to save us from our cord-cluttered lives.

Intel could be implementing wireless charging technology in select ultrabooks and smartphones beginning in the second half of 2013, according to a report from Digitimes. Intel would use the ultrabook as the smartphone's power source, wirelessly charging the smartphone as long as the device is located nearby. The technology would "not require the phone to be put in a very specific position," according to Digitimes.

Wireless charging first became a commercial reality in 2009 with Palm's Touchstone inductive charger, which could be used to wirelessly charge the Palm Pre smartphone. The Powermat was another early entrant in the space, followed by inductive chargers from companies like Energizer. Powermat now makes a variety of wireless charging solutions, but they generally require that the portable device wear a special case in order to inductively charge on the mat.

Inductive charging works by using an electromagnetic field to transfer energy between two devices. Basically, an inductive coil within the base station creates an alternating electromagnetic field, and a coil within the mobile device is able to capture energy from that field and then transform it back into an electrical current that charges its battery.

According to estimates from IMS Research, less than 1 percent of smartphones that shipped in 2011 were equipped with wireless charging capabilities, IHS analyst Jason dePreaux told Wired. For now, price, technical issues (like preventing this technology from interfering with other wireless radios and chips in a handset), fragmentation from competing wireless platforms, and the lack of a robust ecosystem are the primary reasons why companies haven't readily adapted wireless charging methods in smartphones yet, dePreaux said.

Eventually, wireless charging stations could be embedded in our homes, and everyday objects. At CES 2012, Fulton Innovation showed off a prototype of how inductive charging could be implemented in a handbag, making it possible to charge your phone each time you toss it inside. Similarly, wireless chargers could be embedded in cars, in tables or desks, or on household countertops.

Looking at the morass of cables, wires and chargers crisscrossing my desk, this wireless future can't come soon enough.