All Three New 2017 iPhones to Feature Wireless Charging

[Paul Dawkins]

Induction charging is not wireless in a sense that it still requires a thingy connected to a power outlet, so I don't know if moving cables from phone to that thingy is a big feature. Probably not. Also when you have to charge your phone on the go you will have to apologise to your cables anyway.

 

[nofear1az]

Wireless speakers/earbuds allow you to move around freely; a wireless charging pad requires you to leave your device charging on a little pad. It's not any freer.

To clarify, I wouldn't mind the feature, but it seems like a waste of space for such a marginal perk.

Did you mean <facepalm>, or did you actually slap your own palm? Isn't that just clapping? 😛

that was when I was multi-tasking... <facepalm>

I see what you mean but I still prefer a pad which is so much easier to just lay the phone down to charge without fiddling with a cord. We all have different preferences.

 

[Mac 128]

I can't see them adding inductive charging AND retaining the lightning port in the iPhone, it's completely redundant and there's only so much space in the phone. Why would keeping the lightning port be necessary to the life of the iPhone? Yes, this would be a move away from lightning ports across all their devices. Even if it's not now, I think this is inevitable, don't you?


Yes, inductive is not wireless, but it still has every practical advantage over lightning as far as I can tell. I think true wireless (long range) is an eventual goal for Apple and other device manufacturers, but it doesn't seem like the technology is anywhere near mature enough. This is at least better than what we have now.

Well one thing Lightning has over an inductive charging pad is the ability to transfer data through USB. Unless Apple also introduces a way to replace Lightning with another wired data option, they aren't likely to lose Lightning just because they added inductive charging.

Subsidize? I think maybe you don't understand the meaning of the word. Apple doesn't subsidize it -- it's cost is fully accounted for in MSRP. If you bought a 7 or 7 plus you paid for it.

No, I know the meaning of the word, but I was referring to the fact that Apple sells a pretty sophisticated adapter for $9. That's subsidized by Apple. They could easily charge twice that, and typically more. Of course the cost of the free adapter is built into the price of the iPhone 7. But to your point, perhaps everyone who buys an iPhone 7 is also subsidizing everyone who buys the $9 unbundled adapter as well. So if an iPhone 7 customer is not buying a spare 3.5mm adapter, they probably aren't getting their money's worth.

 

[MobiusStrip]

Admins, please ban this jagoff.