Sources close to Bloomberg has confirmed that the Cupertino-based company is working with its partners in Asia and the U.S. to develop a technology that can allow future iPhones and iPads to charge without the tangling wire chargers. The new technology is going to use NFMR, Near-End Magnetic Resonance, which will enable a device to charge from as far as 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) away.
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If this technology does find its way into Apple’s device lineup, the company will reportedly reveal the tech sometime next year.
“The iPhone maker is looking to overcome technical barriers including loss of power over distance”, the story read.
Efficiency of power transfer decreases as the distance between transmitter and receiver grows, which means batteries take longer to recharge.
With more than three-quarters of Apple’s revenue coming from iPhones and iPads, according to Bloomberg, improved wireless charging could boost sales in the slowing smartphone and tablet market.
iDigitalTimes requested a comment from Apple regarding the possibility of a wireless charging feature for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but we have not received a response yet.
A similar technique, known as induction is now being used by Apple to charge its Watch within millimetres of a power source.
Apple has previously played down its interest in any charging technology that still needs to be plugged into a wall socket because such methods would add little convenience.
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Aside from wireless charging, rumors have also surfaced past year that the upcoming iPhone may no longer have the 3.55 mm headphone jack to give way to an all-in-one lightning connector, MacRumors reported. Apple has said before that wireless charging in its current form isn’t convenient for that reason.
