iPhone 12 Models Might Support Reverse Charging of Future Apple Accessories According to FCC Filing

[MacRumors]

iPhone 12 models could have an inactive wireless charging feature for accessories, according to an FCC filing discovered by VentureBeat's Jeremy Horwitz.

In the filing, Apple said that 2020 iPhones support a wireless charging function that will seemingly be enabled for at least one future Apple accessory:

In addition to being able to be charged by a desktop WPT charger (puck), 2020 iPhones also support WPT charging function at 360 kHz to charge accessories. Currently the only accessory that can be charged by iPhones is an external potential apple accessory in future.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman speculated that one of these accessories could be new AirPods with MagSafe support, which could allow the AirPods case to magnetically attach and charge on the back of iPhone 12 models. It would also be reasonable if Apple's long-awaited AirTags item trackers were able to be charged on the back of an iPhone 12.

Two-way charging was a feature rumored for the iPhone 11 lineup in 2019, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo later said the feature was possibly abandoned because "the charging efficiency may not meet Apple's requirements."

Article Link: iPhone 12 Models Might Support Reverse Charging of Future Apple Accessories According to FCC Filing

 

[dapa0s]

Ugh, the battery is bad enough already.

 

[CarlJ]

I still see reverse charging from a phone as something with extremely limited utility. The phone doesn’t have oodles of excess charge to hand over.

 

[thadoggfather]

Ugh, the battery is bad enough already.

its really not imo. Set up the device as new or try another. It's been great for me.

And this would be optional, assuming it ever sees the light. Doesn't mean you have to re-charge your AirPods case to 100%, just if its dead and your AirPods are too.

Also - Ghostly is a sweet label

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This would be a sweet feature add with an iOS update for those times you need more juice on the go

 

[Populus]

It might be for the AirTags

 

[LongWayHome]

Unfortunatley, this would have been a killer feature for the 11 Pro Max. Nothing can kill that phone's battery.

 

[7thson]

its really not imo. Set up the device as new or try another. It's been great for me.

And this would be optional, assuming it ever sees the light. Doesn't mean you have to re-charge your AirPods case to 100%, just if its dead and your AirPods are too.

Also - Ghostly is a sweet label

--

This would be a sweet feature add with an iOS update for those times you need more juice on the go

Ghostly or go home!

 

[tsa1]

I thought the 11 pro and max had this hardware, but disabled through software?

 

[dannyyankou]

An AirPods case with MagSafe would be awesome.

 

[Braderunner]

Well...that would make up for a couple of things...

 

[DotCom2]

Unfortunatley, this would have been a killer feature for the 11 Pro Max. Nothing can kill that phone's battery.

I wonder what the 12 Pro Max is gonna be like.

 

[jz0309]

I guess for emergency use this could be helpful ...

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Leave it to Apple to require you to buy all new accessories to use reverse charging.

 

[Starfyre]

Oh great, the reduced battery life on the 12 can be further reduced by sharing with accessories...

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

It’s going to get better!

 

[and 1989 others]

The charging debacle continues..... in my day everything was charged with a cable in about an hour. No speed fluctuations. No magnets. And it happened straight out of the box.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Generally pointless. Only used if you have one charger and need to charge both iphone and airpods

 

[Adam Warlock]

This is a fantastic feature for Apple to introduce in order to align with their future product line: this way when you buy a $4,000 laptop that doesn't come with a charger in the box they can direct you to purchase a $1,000 iPhone for that purpose. Brilliant!

 

[ian87w]

Leave it to Apple to require you to buy all new accessories to use reverse charging.

MagSafe 2.0, requiring new iPhone and also new charger. Because of the environment. /s

 

[thelookingglass]

MagSafe 2.0, requiring new iPhone and also new charger. Because of the environment. /s

You know, it's unfortunate that Apple's moves lately make people so cynical. But, some of the decisions really are puzzling. I get that they can get away with it, but still seems like horrible PR.

 

[robinp]

What’s the betting the hole in the back of the MagSafe wallet is for a small airtag to be inserted? Battery may only last a few days being so small but if it is charged whenever attached it wouldn’t matter.

Would explain why the wallet is not available yet. And would explain why there is a strange hole on the back of it.

 

[Ds6778]

I’m 50/50 with this. It’s a neat party trick, but I can’t see myself using this regularly. I am constantly around chargers and have a few portable batteries as well.

 

[btrach144]

Unfortunatley, this would have been a killer feature for the 11 Pro Max. Nothing can kill that phone's battery.

I don’t want to give up my 11 Pro Max for a 12 Pro Max but I’m such a fan boy I gotta upgrade. 11’s battery has been bullet proof. I doubt the 12 will match it even if Apple claims it can.

I do agree with others though, sounds like air tags

 

[Pakaku]

Oh, wonderful. I guess at least all of that wasted heat will be convenient for winter...

 

[utsava]

What’s the betting the hole in the back of the MagSafe wallet is for a small airtag to be inserted? Battery may only last a few days being so small but if it is charged whenever attached it wouldn’t matter.

Would explain why the wallet is not available yet. And would explain why there is a strange hole on the back of it.

Cool idea, but I think the hole is for your finger to be able to slide the cards out.