Wireless charging could finally be coming to Apple devices as soon as 2017, but unlike the technology of its competitors, it is reportedly capable of charging even from an extended distance.
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Further, people in the company who asked not to be identified, stated that the company is now working towards eliminating technical barriers, including the loss of power over distance.
One of the major issues faced by wireless chargers that are based on charging plates or mats is that the quality of power transferred to the device gets affected as the proximity decreases.
Long-distance wireless charging could help Apple compete in a market that CEOTim Cook described this week as “bleak” and beset by “extreme conditions”, CNET noted. It is more likely to be incorporated in the next year’s iPhone 7S.
The more pressing question is if Apple is adding wireless charging similar to the Apple Watch to the iPhone 7 to be unveiled this Fall.
Some smartphone makers have been including wireless charging capabilities in their handsets for a few years, allowing you to drop your phone on a charging pad to refuel the battery without connecting any wires. As far back as 2010, Apple applied for a patent to use an iMac as a wireless charging hub for distances of 1 meter.
Another Apple patent outlined a method for making aluminum phone casings that allow radio waves to pass through, a technique that would minimize the problem of metal interfering with transmitted signals. Chip vendors Broadcom and Qualcomm are also developing technologies and standards for wireless charging.
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While there is no official word on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus’s release date, Apple typically releases a new generation of the iPhone around September to November every year.
