Apple is said to be working on a cutting edge new wireless charging technology for future iPhones and iPads.
Rumours are starting to hot up surrounding Apple’s plans for the iPhone 7 in 2016, but we may have just learned of a key feature for the iPhone 7S in 2017.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is working with partners in the US and Asia to produce a revolutionary new wireless charging standard for its mobile devices.
The technology would allow iPhones and iPads to be charged wirelessly from further away than present standards will allow. In the case of current wireless charging technology, found in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Google Nexus 6P, you need to lay the phone down on a charging mat for it to work.
Indeed, Apple’s own Apple Watch uses similar inductive technology to charge from millimetres away from the power source.
Apple is currently contending with technical issues such as power loss over distance, so a decision is yet to be reached about the new technology’s implementation. That’s particularly understandable given the stated 2017 launch timeframe.
Related: Wireless Charging: How close are we to throwing away the cables?
In 2010 Apple submitted a patent application for a piece of charging tech that would employ near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR) to operate over a distance of one metre. It’s clearly been working on the technology for many years.
Given that the iPhone 7 is widely reported to be dropping the 3.5mm headphone port, shifting extra connection responsibility to the Lightning port, another charging method could be just what Apple needs.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
