Apple Exploring Wireless Charging for iPhone as Early as 2013?

[Benjamins]

Should've made the lightning adapter magsafe.

 

[M-O]

are u telling me its a lot of work to plug in a cable that fits even both ways ^^ at least u can somewhat use it and it keeps charging with a cable. and like u said .. u still have to walk to the socket to charge it.

call me when it charges as soon as u r in the same room even if its in ur pocket ^^

as of right now its just like having a "wireless" router but using the ethernetcable ^^

i was saying that "wireless" charging is useless. i agree with you.

 

[pacalis]

Not really.

Wireless charging is currently a step backwards from what we already have, it's slower, less efficient, less convenient and more expensive - so it's more like going from living in a cave back to living in trees again.

Glad to know I'm not the only one that likes to plug my cellphones into walls. These wireless technologies are SO CRAZY!

Now if only Apple would make the iPhone thick enough to plug an gigabit ethernet cable in. That would really be a leap forward.

 

[Thunderhawks]

It's more for the sake of a little extra convenience, I use a Wireless Charger because all I have to do is set it on a little orb and not fumble in the dark trying to find the port on the bottom. I also like the angle it sits at.

Image

The lightning charger goes in both ways, is there a point? Yes, a little extra convenience. Is wireless syncing pointless? No, it's a little more convenient.

Even better, how about for even more convenience have servants you'd give your phone to for charging.

Or, subscribe to a charging service.

They'll hand you it back once done.

Or, just make the iphone a throw away device.

Must be cheap enough to buy in bulk.

When the battery is empty, throw it out and get a new charged one.

Kind of like buying 6 packs or so.

Really too much effort required to put in a cable twice a day.

 

[prowlmedia]

Perhaps we can send you back to school. First time it was definitely not enough.

No thanks. My electronics Degree was enough thanks. I am perfectly aware of the all the misinformation on here and you banding about health scares when it's unwarranted, irrational and is completely unhelpful.

The WPC established guidelines to ensure its products won't expose us to levels of radiation or ionization that could cause any harm to human tissue.

WPC quotes the ICNIRP, a scientific committee that has published its own guidelines on exposure limits. It states: "there is no substantive evidence that adverse health effects, including cancer, can occur in people exposed to levels at or below the ICNIRP limits."

As it is I have an inductive cooker that generates more power than any device charger would and it's perfectly safe.

 

[olegandbuster25]

I'd welcome this, mainly as lightning cables are total **** and are very likely to break.

Makes you think If they are infact thinking about this, what was the point in launching Lightning cables in the first place?

hmm funny.. none of my 3 lightning cables from apple that ive had since day one have broke or really been damaged in any way. the one in my car gets thrown inside cups of drink all the time and still works, because they're waterproof
so yeah you must be buying some cheap 3rd party crap or something.

 

[pacalis]

Nearly everyone's life gets a little bit better with a wireless charging option.

It's bizarre that most of this thread is in a huff. Why is this really? Because the leading android phones already have it?

And this idea that it's too expensive? Really? Too expensive for the most expensive mass-market consumer phone?

I just hope they go with the Qi standard, like everyone else, that way people don't have to keep buying new chargers everytime apple trys to make some additional money on an accessory.

 

[powers74]

Say that your dinnertable can juice your phone. Or the bathroom sink, the nighttable, the mobilephone compartment on your car.

Boom - your mind has been blown..

Yeah, It's not that I'm against wireless charging per se, (not that you were talking to me) I'm just not a fan of the pad. If they could cook up a way for it to juice up your phone from anywhere in the room with something you just plug into the wall, that's great. But I don't want a damn pad with 3' cord dangling off it to lug about every time I go out of town. Something the size of the iPad power brick would be great. Charge up to five devices. Probably have to come up with some authentication stuff so everyone on the plane doesn't steal your wireless charging. OOoohh! And build it into AirPort while you're at it Apple!!

 

[nepalisherpa]

I really wish for some innovation on battery technology or something superior to replace batteries. Imagine the day when we won't have to worry about chargers frequently and can go many days without charging.

 

[irDigital0l]

This is good but I rather have a larger screen option and revamped iOS 7.

 

[Dr McKay]

Even better, how about for even more convenience have servants you'd give your phone to for charging.

Or, subscribe to a charging service.

They'll hand you it back once done.

Or, just make the iphone a throw away device.

Must be cheap enough to by in bulk.

When the battery is empty, throw it out and get a new charged one.

Kind of like buying 6 packs or so.

Really too much effort required to put in a cable twice a day.

I didn't say it was too much effort. Wow, bully for me because I bought a device that makes my life slightly easier. Excuse me while I go and live in a cave in Africa with only a stick I sharpened.

You've opened my eyes.

 

[SmileyBlast!]

Disadvantages of wireless charging

• Can't use (hold) the phone when charging
• Charging is slower
• Charging is less efficient
• Costs money to implement. I would rather have other features in its place

• Will irradiate your work space with Micro Waves. Long term exposure much?

 

[zim]

if apple could design the phone without port, charging and syncing wirelessly.
and make it waterproof, then i'm sold!!

the only advantage of wireless charging is they don't need lightning anymore, but I really doubt apple would go away with the port anytime soon.

I agree, make it waterproof! That would be top in my priority list, not "wireless" charging.

 

[Adam22]

If wireless charging doesn't take away from any other new features ..... What's the problem?!!! If I can place it next to my bed at night and its charged by morning sweet !!! I don't think they will loose USB cable charging ,for those ppl complaining that wireless charging is slower ! Lol just plug it in that will still be there . This is dumb how ppl are actually whining .

 

[MacManTexas56]

I don't understand why people keep whining about this? It is not as if Apple would remove the Lightning port if wireless charging is introduced this year.

"It's not really more convenient, I still have to plug it in to wall", "It is much slower than wired!"

So?

When most people charge their phones they do it at the end of the day by plugging in a cable and putting it down on their nightstand to charge overnight. As long as the wireless solution is fast enough to fully charge the device overnight, it is VERY convenient for > ~85 % of all users.

Most people don't use their devices for extensive periods of time plugged in to a wall, and those that do will still be able to do so.

"It will increase the cost of the device.", "I'd rather Apple spent their resources on something else."

If wireless charging would add a large costs to produce the device, then surely Apple wouldn't suddenly raise the prices by a huge amount instead of waiting until they could launch it at a reasonable price point. And it's not like Apple's phones aren't already full of technology that many people don't use, I'm guessing most iPhone users will never use the built in CDMA radios, along with a few the included GSM/HSPA/LTE-bands as well.

EDIT: * Perhaps I should add that I think lower charging efficiency might still be a concern.

bc i think the title of "wireless charging" is a little misleading. Sure there isn't a wire plugged directly into the actual device...but your phone has to be case free and sit on this "charge pad" for it to be able to charge wirelessly.

Would be better if it was advertised as charging pads etc. Bc it's not a truly wireless solution. You still have a charge pad that is WIRED that plugs into the wall and your phone has to be near that plug where the charge pad is located.

I mean it's like saying wireless internet...but you are restricted by being near an outlet and place your laptop on a "connection pad". doesn't really seem wireless to me if you are still having to be connected on something and close to an outlet.

 

[Adam22]

What did I say that makes you say this? I've been a software developer since 1995... C/C++, obj-c, java, Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris, Android and now lots of iOS.

I just said that I wouldn't change things I already have just for the sake of charging a damn device when a 5-20$ cable does the trick.

I might be technical, but my priorities sure don't involve having the latest and greatest all the time. I've grown up and have higher priorities than gadgets... taking care of my kids trumps upgrading my "sink" to charge a ****ing phone...

So you don't want thing to move forward ? U want to charge the phone by plugging it in for 20 more years? Apple won't implement wireless charging unless is convenient and the wireless pads they sell now are not really that convenient . If apple manages to perfect it or come close to that then why not!!! Stop complaining ,it's about tech moving forward. If u ran things we would still have old flip phones because those phones battery would last longer than iPhones because of the screens that use more power.

 

[MacManTexas56]

So you don't want thing to move forward ? U want to charge the phone by plugging it in for 20 more years? Apple won't implement wireless charging unless is convenient and the wireless pads they sell now are not really that convenient . If apple manages to perfect it or come close to that then why not!!! Stop complaining ,it's about tech moving forward. If u ran things we would still have old flip phones because those phones battery would last longer than iPhones because of the screens that use more power.

sure, true wireless charging would be awesome. just like how wifi is. but the restriction of a charging pad and not being able to use the phone while it's charging is pretty pointless unless it's at night. but man, make it like wireless and i'd be all over it.

 

[JohnDoe98]

WPC quotes the ICNIRP, a scientific committee that has published its own guidelines on exposure limits. It states: "there is no substantive evidence that adverse health effects, including cancer, can occur in people exposed to levels at or below the ICNIRP limits."

As it is I have an inductive cooker that generates more power than any device charger would and it's perfectly safe.

Absence of evidence isn't the same as evidence of absence. There is no evidence that these exposures cause adverse health effects, granted. But that certainly doesn't mean they don't cause adverse health effects. It just means we haven't seen any evidence to suggest these exposures do or might cause problems.

Think of it like this. There is no evidence that suggests aliens exist. But then again, our evidence and ability to scan the universe is very limited, so we cannot conclude there are no aliens anywhere out there. Perhaps there is another earth like planet sustaining life as we speak, it is simply too far away to see it, or hidden behind all the other things we can see.

I'm not too worried about the radiation levels of inductive charging, I just wanted to point out that your argument strikes me as problematic as it was stated.

 

[Adam22]

bc i think the title of "wireless charging" is a little misleading. Sure there isn't a wire plugged directly into the actual device...but your phone has to be case free and sit on this "charge pad" for it to be able to charge wirelessly.

Would be better if it was advertised as charging pads etc. Bc it's not a truly wireless solution. You still have a charge pad that is WIRED that plugs into the wall and your phone has to be near that plug where the charge pad is located.

I mean it's like saying wireless internet...but you are restricted by being near an outlet and place your laptop on a "connection pad". doesn't really seem wireless to me if you are still having to be connected on something and close to an outlet.

Example of wireless charge convenience : your going to bed at night all you have to do is lay the iphone on your nightstand next/near the wireless charging pad . You go to sleep and get a call in the middle of your sleep its dark and u reach for your phone and answer the call without worrying that you forgot to plug it in and the phone is dead , and u can freely move without the worry of the damn lightning cable! !!!!! I think that's convenient because the only time u had to worry about plugging in a cable was when u unboxed your new iphone and plugged it the wireless charging accessory . Now when your in your living room or car and you don't wanna pay the extra $ for more wireless charging pads or whatever they'll be ,you can plug your phone to an outlet via a lightning cable!!!!!

 

[MacManTexas56]

Example of wireless charge convenience : your going to bed at night all you have to do is lay the iphone on your nightstand next/near the wireless charging pad . You go to sleep and get a call in the middle of your sleep its dark and u reach for your phone and answer the call without worrying that you forgot to plug it in and the phone is dead , and u can freely move without the worry of the damn lightning cable! !!!!! I think that's convenient because the only time u had to worry about plugging in a cable was when u unboxed your new iphone and plugged it the wireless charging accessory . Now when your in your living room or car and you don't wanna pay the extra $ for more wireless charging pads or whatever they'll be ,you can plug your phone to an outlet via a lightning cable!!!!!

but to me, that's not really wireless charging if you have to be connected to something still. sure at night it's cool....but during the day and at work when you have to use the device....=pointless.

 

[JohnDoe98]

but to me, that's not really wireless charging if you have to be connected to something still. sure at night it's cool....but during the day and at work when you have to use the device....=pointless.

Yeah but the batteries typically last all day anyway, so if you are charging it every night it's a non-issue.

 

[daveathall]

but during the day and at work when you have to use the device....=pointless.

You pick the phone up to answer/make a call, walk around while using it if you wish and then place it down on the charging mat. When you go to lunch/conference/meeting/rest room/fresh air/break/home, you just pick the phone up and off you go.

 

[Adam22]

but to me, that's not really wireless charging if you have to be connected to something still. sure at night it's cool....but during the day and at work when you have to use the device....=pointless.

That's the thing if what they're working on is still dependent on having your iphone within a foot or so than its only convenient at night . But that in it self is a good thing because it will eliminate maybe you forgetting to plug it in at night . But during the day u can still use the lighting cable as you do now . If its gonna make life easier that = convenient ! Even if it just for night time when ur gonna go to sleep at least you'll now that every day when u wake up your phone will be ready for you or in the middle of the night if u get an emergency call you'll know its charging

 

[MacManTexas56]

Yeah but the batteries typically last all day anyway, so if you are charging it every night it's a non-issue.

not always the case. i use mine for work...i'm always on the thing sending emails etc.

I could see something happening like this......

Boss: aren't you going to answer that call from your client?

Me: Oh well my phone is dying and it's charging so I can't.

Boss: What do you mean you can't? Just pick up the phone while it's charging.

Me: Well I can't, because then it stops charging.

Boss: Hmmm...mine charges fine while i'm still using the phone. What kind of charger is that?

Me: It's wireless charging.

Boss: Oh awesome, so it should be charging while you are talking on the phone without wires....pick the phone up then!

Me: Sorry, I can't. It has to sit on this pad to charge.

Boss: Wait, I thought you said it was wireless??

----------

You pick the phone up to answer/make a call, walk around while using it if you wish and then place it down on the charging mat. When you go to lunch/conference/meeting/rest room/fresh air/break/home, you just pick the phone up and off you go.

sure sounds easy right. until you make an hour long phone call and your phone dies. It's just too restrictive.

 

[Adam22]

not always the case. i use mine for work...i'm always on the thing sending emails etc.

I could see something happening like this......

Boss: aren't you going to answer that call from your client?

Me: Oh well my phone is dying and it's charging so I can't.

Boss: What do you mean you can't? Just pick up the phone while it's charging.

Me: Well I can't, because then it stops charging.

Boss: Hmmm...mine charges fine while i'm still using the phone. What kind of charger is that?

Me: It's wireless charging.

Boss: Oh awesome, so it should be charging while you are talking on the phone without wires....pick the phone up then!

Me: Sorry, I can't. It has to sit on this pad to charge.

Boss: Wait, I thought you said it was wireless??

----------


sure sounds easy right. until you make an hour long phone call and your phone dies. It's just too restrictive.

Then only use the wireless charging accessory /pad at night on your nightstand . Take your lighting cable to work as you do now !! LOL why would any company force a problem like that of only being able to charge your phone on wireless pads?! LoL are you seriously thinking they will eliminate regular USB charging?! HAHAHAHHHAH