Apple Developing iPhone With Extended Range Wireless Charging for as Soon as 2017

[tamirdotan]

Apple is reportedly developing a wirelessly-charged iPhone for as soon as 2017, according to Bloomberg. The company is working with its partners in both the U.S. and Asia to create the technology.

Current wirelessly-charged devices require users to place their phones or other devices on charging mats. In September 2012, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said that the company wasn't sure of how convenient wireless charging is as most wireless charging systems still have to be plugged into a wall.

In early January, it was reported that Apple was working on wireless charging for the iPhone 7. However, that report warned that the feature could be pulled from the iPhone 7 for a future iteration of the device as Apple is working on the technology currently.

Apple has held an interest in wireless charging since the first iPhone, gaining patents for wireless charging stations and wireless charging through a near field magnetic resonance, which wirelessly charges a device within a certain region. The Cupertino company has also shown an interest in WiTricity's wireless charging technology, which uses "hidden charging" technology that allows magnetic fields to wrap around barriers. This allows users to place their charging pads wherever they want.

Last November it was reported that the iPhone 7 would see the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack for an all-in-one Lightning connector that allows users to both power their device and plug in headphones. While the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack would mean that Apple would be able to make the iPhone thinner, it would not allow users to listen to headphones and charge their phone at the same time. A proprietary wireless charging solution from Apple in future iPhones with all-in-one Lightning connectors would likely allow for that.

Article Link: Apple Developing iPhone With Extended Range Wireless Charging for as Soon as 2017

[doublepost=1454061211][/doublepost]can someone tell me what is the image of the wallpaper of the white iphone?

 

[tmanto02]

Sounds great, but also sounds like it's a loooooooong ways away

 

[190991]

This is at least an innovation which would make sense, unlike those silly "wireless" charging pads. Who cares if it's wireless if you still have to place the phone in a certain area? Plugging a phone in does not stress me out.

Not really just your work that matters.

The plugs take a lot of space in the device. If both charging and headphones could be wireless, two plugs less would make room for more battery, or more probably in Apple's case, thinner phones.

The plugs are also an entrance point for dust and water. If they could get rid of all plugs, it would be much easier to make the device water proof.

The chargers themselves are also prone to wear and tear, because of the plugging in and out sequence. If charging could be made without that physical stress on components, the durability would also increase.

This is, in fact, great news and the future for handheld devices.

 

[doelcm82]

Must be treating the cables pretty rough. I've been using the same lighting cable that came with my iphone 5 to charge every new iphone and ipad and no damage yet. Can't wait for wireless charging though.

But we aren't treating them rough. So rough treatment doesn't explain it, unless you treat yours so gingerly that hardly anyone could be expected to do the same.

Also, MFI lightning cables not made by Apple seem to last much longer with the same treatment.

My only guess is that not every lightning cable from Apple is of equal quality. They may look the same, but do we know that they are all made in the same place using the exact same materials. We know that Apple sources other parts, such as iPhone screens from multiple vendors, and occasionally we hear about a particular vendor's parts having problems that the other suppliers don't.

In any case, I'll just keep using the MFI lightning cables from other sellers, and saving the official Apple one just for emergencies. In addition to being more durable, I can get the third-party ones in different colors and lengths which helps with the cable clutter.

And yes: Wireless charging will make the frayed cable problem, as well as the cable clutter problem, mostly go away. So I'll be happy to see it offered.
[doublepost=1454061947][/doublepost]

I mean, the quotes aren't wrong...

They are wrong. For example: "Don't abuse your cord and you won't have this problem." I don't abuse my cord and I still have the problem. You can't get more wrong than that.

Pull out the cable using the hard plastic as opposed to yanking at the cable itself.

Yep. I do exactly what you suggest and the cable still frays. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[lordofthereef]

Been wanting something like this for years.

 

[smallcoffee]

So how will I connect my headphones? A thunderbolt to audio jack? The iPhone is thin enough.

 

[Frisco]

This so called "enough thin" today's iPhone will look not any less ridiculous then say Motorola DynaTAC! It's called evolution.

The Motorola DynaTAC was a great phone, but what killed it was the lack of an "App" Store.

 

[lordofthereef]

Why did this thread become trash talk ba out people who have hadnissuesnwith their cables. Apple cables fray. It's a pretty well documented fact. My wife's Apple Watch cable just crapped out and we had to get a new one. The kicker is its inside a stand so she's not even handling the cable.

Toss the "you're abusing your cable" rhetoric right out the window folks. It's a cable. Not a newborn baby. It should be able to withstand a year of plugging and unplugging easily without having to bust out the graphing calculator to figure out the exact appropriate angle and force for removal. Maybe there's an app for that?

 

[179202]

I agree, I hate the fragile lightning connectors. They "turtle neck" and fray VERY easily for me, even though they literally never leave the outlet they're plugged into. But be prepared for the following incoming comments:

"What are you doing with your chargers that causes them to break so soon?????"
"I've had my Lightning charger for (insert years) and it's still PERFECT!"
"Don't abuse your cord and you won't have this problem."

Those comments are correct. There's one particular thing that everyone seems to do (including me) that speeds up the process hugely: Charges aren't designed so that you can use your phone whilst it's plugged in. That puts stresses on the cable and the more you do it, the worse it gets. Plug, unplug. That's it. It makes your cables last.
[doublepost=1454066016][/doublepost]This technology would be a massive game changer. Suddenly we could start getting rid of power outlets in the house, electric cars could be charged up without even plugging them in. Charging would become a thing of the past - invisible.

 

[luigiBoschin]

Apple is reportedly developing a wirelessly-charged iPhone for as soon as 2017, according to Bloomberg. The company is working with its partners in both the U.S. and Asia to create the technology.

Current wirelessly-charged devices require users to place their phones or other devices on charging mats. In September 2012, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller said that the company wasn't sure of how convenient wireless charging is as most wireless charging systems still have to be plugged into a wall.

In early January, it was reported that Apple was working on wireless charging for the iPhone 7. However, that report warned that the feature could be pulled from the iPhone 7 for a future iteration of the device as Apple is working on the technology currently.

Apple has held an interest in wireless charging since the first iPhone, gaining patents for wireless charging stations and wireless charging through a near field magnetic resonance, which wirelessly charges a device within a certain region. The Cupertino company has also shown an interest in WiTricity's wireless charging technology, which uses "hidden charging" technology that allows magnetic fields to wrap around barriers. This allows users to place their charging pads wherever they want.

Last November it was reported that the iPhone 7 would see the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack for an all-in-one Lightning connector that allows users to both power their device and plug in headphones. While the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack would mean that Apple would be able to make the iPhone thinner, it would not allow users to listen to headphones and charge their phone at the same time. A proprietary wireless charging solution from Apple in future iPhones with all-in-one Lightning connectors would likely allow for that.

Article Link: Apple Developing iPhone With Extended Range Wireless Charging for as Soon as 2017

[doublepost=1454066311][/doublepost]samsung working on a copy...

 

[BvizioN]

The Motorola DynaTAC was a great phone, but what killed it was the lack of an "App" Store.

The lack of an App Store on this???

 

[drober30]

I don't get the appeal of charging mats? I don't want a mat on my nightstand and I don't understand what the hangup is with charging your phone every night. Everybody goes to bed, put your phone on your charger. Laying it down on a mat verse putting it on a stand does not seem that appealing to me, what am I missing?

I like to see my phone on my stand when a text, call or alerts comes through, if it was laying on a mat, I would have to pick it up each time.

They should put all efforts and resources into extending battery life!

 

[luigiBoschin]

Samsung working on a copy already...

 

[yegon]

Take care of your cables?

Same. I've accumulated several over the years and every one works perfectly, despite being used/carried in various locations/bags/environments, coiled up or just shoved in a bag.

 

[Popeye206]

Nikola Tesla is rolling in his grave.

Why? If it works he would be proud I'm sure! His vision come to life.

 

[SMIDG3T]

How about a Lightning charger that doesn't break after 2 months instead?

Perhaps if you treat it well, it will. Funny, I've had absolutely no problems at all with them.

 

[John Mcgregor]

Perhaps if you treat it well, it will. Funny, I've had absolutely no problems at all with them.

I have 2 year old cables that work just fine and look fine. Users fault is the best explanation.

 

[delegagtor]

Is anybody asking for a thinner iPhone? Anybody at all?

 

[yegon]

I think it's definitely related to how you pull it out. Common sense tells me to hold the plastic bit, pretty much the equivalent place of every other cable ever. I've seen people at work pull USB leads from computers by the wire and shake my head.

 

[Freida]

I don't know about you but I don't want another "wireless" stuff. Its enough how much we are exposed to wifi and all the crap.

Wasn't there a study that showed that people who lived under those massive electricity cables had some serious health issues long term?
Regardless of that. Having electricity flowing wireless and other fields just can't be good for anyone.
In fact, look at GEOMACK products that show exactly what happens when you combat that.
Who knows if its a gimmick or not. I just don't think its good for human body.

 

[scapegoat81]

If we won't see this til 2017, I can see a serious redesign for the iPhone 7. I'm hoping the shrink the ever living **** out of the bezels & nix the home button

 

[tito2020]

Microwaves! Yay!

More cancer for the brain

 

[lordofthereef]

Those comments are correct. There's one particular thing that everyone seems to do (including me) that speeds up the process hugely: Charges aren't designed so that you can use your phone whilst it's plugged in. That puts stresses on the cable and the more you do it, the worse it gets. Plug, unplug. That's it. It makes your cables last.

I hear this statement a lot, but interestingly, it's not a recommendation I have ever heard from Apple. Until Apple tells me their cables aren't designed for use while plugged in, I am going to have to call BS. Not once have I ever seen or heard anything of this sort mentioned outside of a forum like this one. And that's a pretty ig statement considering Apple claimed people were holding the iPhone 4 incorrectly (half kidding here lol). HERE is the closest thing I have read of any word officially from Apple. It's regarding charging a dead battery, but from it we can read

you can use your device while it continues to charge.

I have a couple Micro USB cables that I use plugged in for gaming, arguably seeing more "abuse" from movement than a plugged in phone (I sometimes use the same cable for my Android phone if I don't have anything else handy). These cables are two years old and were each purchased for about $3 on monoprice.

This isn't to say micro USB is superior; it's not. For watever reason Apple designs their cables with form over function in mind. I have a two year old ten foot Belkin lightning cable that has also been flawless; the junture between the cable and the port is about twice as thinck as what apple provides and the areas where they bend are reinforced as well. I use my phone before bed every night while plugged into this cable. Mind you, this is the same "technology" that many (most?) 3.5mm headphone jacks employ, because it is a known weak point.

The reality is third party cables are often higher rated/reviewed than Apple's cables. Kind of boggles my mind as to why and how, but I will never buy an Apple cable again, or at least until they change their design methodology.

On a positive note, Apple does replace fraying cables if you can pshow proof of purchase within 12 months, at least in the states, so at least they stand behind their product in those regards.
[doublepost=1454069616][/doublepost]

If we won't see this til 2017, I can see a serious redesign for the iPhone 7. I'm hoping the shrink the ever living **** out of the bezels & nix the home button

I don't see the lightning port being completely abandoned. I simply don't.

I could absolutely get being dumping the 3.5mm if we see highe bezel shrinkage as well as potential loss of the home button (though I would need a compelling asnwer to touch ID which is damn near flawless now).

 

[samcraig]

Phil's comment is absurd. Yes - wireless chargers still need to be plugged in. But it's a very nice convenience to just pop a device on a disc/pad and not have to fuss with the plug. Also reduced wear and tear on the plug/port.

No doubt one of their concerns is that it would likely add to the thickness of the device and they keep wanting to get thinner. To that I said - phones are thin enough (my opinion). Happily trade battery life, wireless charging, etc for a slightly thicker phone. With a great percentage of phones in cases - I'm not sure many consumers really care about their device being uber thin.

 

[Deuce on the Clock]

Wireless charging is better than the camel hump cases to solve battery life issues.
If your cables fray, you're charging it wrong people.
Ive had my cable since 1921 and its still perfect!