4.7-Inch iPhone to Feature Wireless Charging Next Year

[Moorepheus]

Every time I hear ALL GLASS I cringe. I was never a fan of the iPhone 4's mostly glass design. While I can tell you, we have one at home for our grandkids to use as an iPad and have watched them throw it across the room and land on a hardwood floor and not break, I still don't like it.

 

[jmgregory1]

I hope so. With Apple's long tradition of ditching ports I feel the days of lightning are truly numbered. Dock connector was on iPhone from 2007 to 2012, five years - and 2017 is 5 years after 2012 so it won't be long until it's gone, and I won't be happy if it's replaced with something that requires constant contact to a charging plate to charge.

Wireless charging will, if the reports are correct, become the next wifi-like benefit that public spaces (like airports), retailers and coffee shops can offer to customers. Imagine the benefit of going into Starbucks for a cup of joe, browsing the web and getting a quick charge doing nothing more than hitting accept on-screen as we do now for wifi. No longer needing to carry cables with you, or look for wall outlets to charge.

And once the charging tech is applied to laptops, workspaces can be created out of raw open areas, not requiring wiring be laid for desks / offices, since data and power can both be fed wirelessly. It's a huge change, if it can be accomplished.

 

[jkichline]

I understand the importance of this tech for waterproofing devices, though It would scare me to think we could eventually have an iPhone with zero ports because everything is wireless. It makes sense on the watch, however, I am not interested in wireless charging of the phone itself.

Technology that radiates energy throughout the room to charge a phone. No thanks...

And yet you're OK with WiFi and microwaves?

 

[Jimmy James]

Ming-Chi Kuo. Bless you.

 

[deany]

All good news for a change. I also hope they have zero bazel and curved edges.

my personal view-

• Will be called iPhone 10

• Will launch at conference on Thursday June 29 2017 at Mothership (hopefully Tim - for Steve - doing the launch not Phil)

• iPhone 10 available September 2017 and sales will be stratospheric even by apple standards

 

[Chupa Chupa]

There has been neither. There is positively nothing but rumor and guesswork. More of the latter.

A lot of things in life are solved by guesswork. In the iPhone's case, one can look at the iPhone 7, it's nearly identical form factor as 6 and 6s. It's nearly identical features as 6s minus the headphone jack and physical home button, more water/dust resistant and the usual CPU bump. Despite the 7 not officially being an "s" it has all the other characteristics. In the past the non "s" models were a change in form factor. So, logically it makes zero marketing sense for Apple to release an all new form factor and then name it "s".

It may not be the iPhone 8. It might be a whole new naming scheme like iPhone and iPhone Pro the same way it's MacBook and MacBook Pro, no version numbers attached. Or it might other describers like the iPad mini, Air, Pro. But I'll bet you it definitely won't be iPhone 7S.

 

[satchmo]

Curious to know if there is still a large percentage of people looking to upgrade to smartphones?
Does this market still have legs or is Apple milking a dead cow?

 

[MrGuder]

Soon all iPhones iPads and MacBooks will be released with no ports, no cables, no plugs. It will all be wireless, bluetooth and iCloud. If Apple wants it like that the public will follow suit.

 

[Jsameds]

Wireless charging will, if the reports are correct, become the next wifi-like benefit that public spaces (like airports), retailers and coffee shops can offer to customers. Imagine the benefit of going into Starbucks for a cup of joe, browsing the web and getting a quick charge doing nothing more than hitting accept on-screen as we do now for wifi. No longer needing to carry cables with you, or look for wall outlets to charge.

And once the charging tech is applied to laptops, workspaces can be created out of raw open areas, not requiring wiring be laid for desks / offices, since data and power can both be fed wirelessly. It's a huge change, if it can be accomplished.

Christ, this is really industry/life/world changing stuff, right here. Just thinking about it is making my spine tingle. Ooh I do love new technology!

 

[DCIFRTHS]

It will be completely wireless. Except for the wire the connects the wireless charger to the wall.

So it will be 50% wireless...

 

[Markoth]

Can't you guys mention in the article somewhere, the article you guys had ages ago about WiTricity? I can almost guarantee you that Apple is going to be using them. A press release was released recently that says they're going to begin ramping up production at the end of this year. It would be nice to read an article without slapping my head after reading the comments about people who think that wireless charging = induction. This will likely not be using the same tech as what any phone currently uses. WiTricity's tech is far superior.

 

[blacktape242]

So the Plus users have to wait for 2018 iPhone 8S for wireless charging capabilities?

God i hope this isn't true. It does sound a little far fetched tho. I bet the + will have it as well....right???

 

[moonjelly]

Wireless charging where you put the phone on a mat, rather than on a dock.... don't really see the benefit.

But if wireless charging can work where you have a few things plugged in around the house so that the phone isn't losing its charge while you're using it, without it needing to be placed somewhere.... potentially brilliant.

Radiant energy falls off exponentially, unless its focused coherently like a laser. But then its not space-filling. You don't see the amperage draw of their large [15 foot range] transmitter and a graph with amps delivered vs. range front and center in Energous marketing.

Its analogous to heating your coffee fifteen feet from the microwave, in every direction.

Can a transmitter that powerful be built? Yes. Do I want to pay that electric bill? No.

The small transmitter is where efficiency becomes practical because its designed to work within a few millimeters.

Puck or matt charging is not exciting by its-self. But a phone immune to water, grit and lint, with nothing mechanical to wear out or break could be appealing.

 

[0098386]

All things considered, it looks like iPhone 7 was nothing but filler.

I'm almost certain Apple said they were going to a 3-version cycle of iPhones, rather than the usual 2-version cycle. So when they announced the iPhone 7 I thought that, hey, it's the 3rd iPhone 6. They look nearly identical to boot. Really that's all the 7 is.

 

[StevieD100]

Kuo is using the 'scatter gun' approach.

Say this, say that, say something else, repeat until next september and something is bound to stick.
Then he can say, 'I told you so...' and his stock on wall st goes up. No downgrades for what he says that never happens.

And this is news? Really?
Apple (and and other manufcturer) would be testing many different things out. Some make it into the next gen device. Many don't. Some get discarded and some might make it into the next but one device. That is the nature of things in R&D.

It is time we stopped reporting on evey word he spouts. A once a month roundup until we get close to the next release would be sufficuient.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Soon all iPhones iPads and MacBooks will be released with no ports, no cables, no plugs. It will all be wireless, bluetooth and iCloud. If Apple wants it like that the public will follow suit.

In other words, The Walking Dead? There are other choices if people desire them.

 

[Porno]

You gonna need a dongle to charge it wireless, it's just a concept...

 

[dilbert99]

Wireless whatever is a waste of energy and Earth aggression and should be avoided whenever possible.

Wireless charging will improve. I'm not an expert, but wireless charging is a bit like a transformer which are all around us.
Also you have much bigger fish to fry. Wasting a small amount of energy is insignificant compared to just about any other device out there. (Fridge, air con, tumble drier, car, train, plane, lighting, washing machine, dish washer)

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

So basically the 2017 Plus will be another S while the smaller 2017 will be a full upgrade?

An interesting tactic... I'm not sure how my wife and I will handle it. She likes being on the same cycle as me, but she has a 4.7" while I have a 5.5".

 

[dilbert99]

This is one of my issues with Apple at the moment. "Entry-level" and "high-end" should not be terms used to delineate a lineup based on whether you want a large or small screen.

Amen to that

 

[jmgregory1]

So it will be 50% wireless...

That's been Apple's issue with the current conductive wireless charging pads - where you're really only trading the charging cable going into the phone for a charging pad that still tethers your phone. Obviously you'll need some device to be plugged in, but in a home, you may only need a single unit that can manage charging multiple devices. And if you're traveling and know you have access to a hotel, airport, coffee shop, etc. that offers wireless charging, you won't need to even bring a charger with you. This scenario may be a few years off yet, just as it was with broad wifi adoption, but Apple certainly has the volume to push wireless charging into the mainstream relatively quickly.

 

[moonjelly]

The thing about the single block of glass design is that when it ceases to function it will be simply, a single block of glass.

Fear of solid state technology. "When a tube goes bad in my tube radio I can replace it. I can rebuild a carburetor in my garage. What? They solder CPUs directly to the mother board just to get higher bus speed, better heat transfer, better reliability? How will I upgrade?"

 

[69Mustang]

Of course. Why do you think it has taken this long? They are going for an ACTUAL wireless charging experience that doesn't suck miserably.

I'm not sure what you know of Energous, but the potential product they have to offer right now is going to suck miserably. Their WATTUP tech is only really effective for a distance of 3 feet or so. Their desire to reach a distance of 15 feet hasn't been met yet, and probably won't be met until 2018. How do I know? It's on their website under news and awards. Relevant article here. Let's curb our enthusiasm until we see what they might ACTUALLY offer.

Hopefully it will have its own "name" so we have a way of differentiating the legit Apple solution and every other gimmicky interpretation that has come before it.

Of course it will have it's own name. It wouldn't be Apple if it didn't have it's own name. Apple names everything. Otherwise, how would we know how special it is?

 

[bladerunner2000]

Better late than never but a lot of people are jumping ship. No headphone jack and no way to connect it to the new MacBook Pro... Wtf? Hard not to agree with all the complaints.

 

[dilbert99]

I understand the importance of this tech for waterproofing devices, though It would scare me to think we could eventually have an iPhone with zero ports because everything is wireless. It makes sense on the watch, however, I am not interested in wireless charging of the phone itself.

Technology that radiates energy throughout the room to charge a phone. No thanks...

Are you being serious? Wireless charging in its current form radiates a few cm from the device. Pull it any further than that and it won't charge.
What about all the other radiation in your house that is stronger than wireless charging - wifi/your phone...