Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

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

My bet it's going to be for the AirTags, which will be charged via MagSafe either through the puck charger or the phone.


airtags-render-sep-2020-2048x1153.jpg


I think that Apple is preparing a new eco-system for this and it's not just limited to leather wallets and the charger that magnetically snaps on. It was mentioned somewhere that the MagSafe aligns the charger in order to ensure faster charging, but I think this is probably not the full story. There are smartphones out there that has faster charging without magnets.

MagSafe is definitely more than convenience. It serves a larger strategic purpose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: I7guy
AdpSydney said:
I’m one of the few people who already saw some benefit to MagSafe and I have to say the idea of using it to secure devices for piggyback charging is even better. I don’t see why people get so upset about having the choice to use something. If you think it uses too much battery... don’t use it. But if you have your AirPods on the train and they die and you have an hour till you get home and your phone was charging at your desk at work and is basically full... why not give your AirPods a boost? And without them sliding all over the place. And if you don’t want to do that, no one will punish you.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I think this is one of the most significant upgrades to MagSafe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: michael31986
plandersen said:
My bet it's going to be for the AirTags, which will be charged via MagSafe either through the puck charger or the phone.
Click to expand...

I don’t understand all the people saying this will be for AirTags - can you explain the use-case you see for this?

Reverse charging is surely for when you’re out and you’re caught short - something (eg your AirPods case) is low on battery and you don’t have a wall charger to top it up. AirTags need to be already charged when you’re out and about, otherwise they can’t do their job of helping you find lost items. They need to require infrequent charging, which you’ll do at home. What are other people envisaging here that I’m not?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gasu E.
CarlJ said:
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.
Click to expand...
Depends on how you use it. Could be enough for many people to charge something like airtags.
 
mazz0 said:
I don’t understand all the people saying this will be for AirTags - can you explain the use-case you see for this?

Reverse charging is surely for when you’re out and you’re caught short - something (eg your AirPods case) is low on battery and you don’t have a wall charger to top it up. AirTags need to be already charged when you’re out and about, otherwise they can’t do their job of helping you find lost items. They need to require infrequent charging, which you’ll do at home. What are other people envisaging here that I’m not?
Click to expand...
They have different life’s than yours.
Btw everything needs to be charged when you’re out. But maybe before you leave you want to give an airtag or AirPod a quick boost.
 
Whathappened said:
Depends on how you use it. Could be enough for many people to charge something like airtags.
Click to expand...

Tile for example doesn't need charging? They have a 1 year or 3 year user replaceable batteries? [CR2032 watch battery that cost pennies]. I don't see any advantage to a "tag" that needs to be charged reguarly?
 
DotCom2 said:
I wonder what the 12 Pro Max is gonna be like.
Click to expand...
I'm sure it will be good, but its not going to be as good as the 11 Pro Max. Smaller battery, bigger screen, more powerful, is going to mean less battery. The A14 will be more efficient but it won't be enough to make it last as long as the 11 Pro Max simply do to the battery being so much smaller.
 
btrach144 said:
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
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat. I'm going to get the 12 Pro Max and try it out, but no way I'll keep it if the battery doesn't hold up which I don't think it will.
 
mazz0 said:
I don’t understand all the people saying this will be for AirTags - can you explain the use-case you see for this?

Reverse charging is surely for when you’re out and you’re caught short - something (eg your AirPods case) is low on battery and you don’t have a wall charger to top it up. AirTags need to be already charged when you’re out and about, otherwise they can’t do their job of helping you find lost items. They need to require infrequent charging, which you’ll do at home. What are other people envisaging here that I’m not?
Click to expand...

Well, as you mention AirTags would only require infrequent charging and probably not for very long. The easiest way to charge these would be just to snap one on the back your iPhone for a short time, which at the same time would pair it, I imagine.

The easier it is to put these to use, the more of them you would get out and about and the better coverage you would see for tracking. And since you don't need a separate charger or batteries, it would be incredibly easy to ensure they are charged.

I imagine, they would use a combination of Bluetooth and the U1 UWB-chip for more precise location. They could perhaps also feature an accelerometer for other use cases like fitness. This could also correspond well with the upcoming Apple Fitness+ service that will be launching soon.

Check the patent filings out: https://www.patentlyapple.com/paten...llustrating-many-styles-and-applications.html
 
Last edited:
I feel like Apple missed it out on an opportunity... iPads should have had MagSafe on them as well
 
I’ve had a few situations where the AirPods case is empty and you don’t realise because the pods themselves have some charge. That can suddenly leave you without working AirPods.

This would be useful for that. But the AirPods case is smaller than the MagSafe ring so I don’t know how that would work unless the case was much bigger - and then I’d prefer the portability of the AirPods fitting in the coin pocket
 
No doubt i think the route they are going will be with MagSafe so the air pods pro in 2021 will come with a magsafe charging case and it will just stick to the phone that seems the most likely thing here.

Maybe the iphone 13 as well will let you stick it to another magsafe phone to charge another phone as well.
 
I travel frequently and have to make sure that I have a USB-A adapter and lightning cable for the iPhone; another USB- A adapter and puck for the watch; a USB-C adapter and USB-C cable for an iPad.

I plan to upgrade to a 12. If it does indeed feature this charging option, with the ability to power AirPods and Watch, I look forward to cutting those three adapters and three cables down to a single USB-C and two cables. I can’t see the negative aspects of this being included in the iPhone functionality. Obviously if its going to deplete your battery avoid using it until there’s an outlet... but that’s just common sense.

Looking forward to seeing the MagSafe wallet accessory for a similar reason.
 
Still wondering why I need to bring special cable for Apple Watch when I travel.......
 
AIen said:
Still wondering why I need to bring special cable for Apple Watch when I travel.......
Click to expand...
It's not that much of an issue, is it? I pack a Ziploc bag of various cables when I travel so I have everything I need. The AW charging cable isn't that big. Definitely smaller than packing a giant AirPower pad! (not that it will ever exist, but it would have been the other option).
 
C’mon guys, reverse charging is a gimmick. There’s absolutely no practical use in real life. At least not with today’s phone battery standards.
 
alleggerita said:
Problem is the airtags will most likely be smaller than the ring of magnets on the back of the iPhone. If it’s the same size as the ring of magnets, it’ll be too big wouldn’t it? I wonder how is the airtag gonna stay put while you reverse charge it.
Click to expand...
With that fancy wallet that I'm never, ever going to buy.
 
Seems to me, people don’t read the actual documents referenced-

reverse charging currently “only occurs when the phone is connected to an AC power outlet.”
Click to expand...

As things stand now, once activated in a presumable software update, it simply is capable of turning the phone into a 5W charging pad, when the phone is plugged in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back