Ever since a Bloomberg report earlier this year, rumours of a new wireless charging technology from Apple have been doing the rounds.
The report claimed Apple was working with partners in the US and Asia on the charging standard that would allow devices to charge without having to be connected to, or touching, the charging device.
What’s more, the tech was said to allow iPhones and iPads to charge at a further distance than current wireless technology allows.
Now, it seems a new report from VentureBeat has all but confirmed the rumours, with Apple said to be partnering with wireless charging technology firm Energous.
Related: iPhone 7
Some expected to see wireless charging on the iPhone 7
Energous has previously acknowledged it had a development agreement with “one of the top five consumer electronics companies”, but, as the new report reveals, a prospectus issued by the firm seemingly confirms that company is Apple.
At the end of the prospectus, issued to investors as part of the firm’s public offering of stock shares, ‘Apple compliance testing’ is listed.
The full quote reads: “We expect that our products and/or the reference designs will undergo UL/CE as well as FCC Part 15, FCC Part 18, SAR, California Energy Star and Apple compliance testing.”
Energous’ WattUp tech uses a transmitter and receiver to charge devices from up to 15ft away – a big improvement on current wireless charging solutions.
And while early speculation suggested Apple was considering using WattUp, or a version of the tech, in the iPhone 7, it now seems likely, or at least possible, that we could see it integrated into next year’s iPhone 8.
Of course, Apple is yet to confirm anything, and although this latest report strongly suggests an Apple/Energous partnership, it’s certainly not a sure thing.
WATCH: iPhone 7 unboxing
Let us know your thoughts on the news in the comments.
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Editorial independence
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.
Professional conduct
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.
