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iPhone 5 inductive charging explains odd two-toned backplate?

brock2621

brock2621

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Last year the Wall Street Journal was quoting in saying Apple was coming up with "new way(s) of charging the phone."

Today, PatentlyApple posted a newly acquired patent for inductive charging system for Apple to use on mobile devices: http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...-scrolling-rotating-resizing-on-displays.html

Do you think Apple will move forward with inductive charging for iPhone 5 and could that possibly explain the materials difference used on the leaked back plate?
 
I was thinking this exact same thing when I saw the images of the back plate. That is the feature I am hoping for the most that I miss from my old Palm Pre. It is a small thing but makes such a big difference in simplicity and never plugging anything in.

I wonder if this is what the small metal cylinders in the middle of the inside of the case are for. They could be the positive and negative charge points for the battery, though not sure what the third would be.

oem_apple_iphone_5_rear_housing_-_replacement_part_12_.jpg
 
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brendu said:
I was thinking this exact same thing when I saw the images of the back plate. That is the feature I am hoping for the most that I miss from my old Palm Pre. It is a small thing but makes such a big difference in simplicity and never plugging anything in.

I wonder if this is what the small metal cylinders in the middle of the inside of the case are for. They could be the positive and negative charge points for the battery, though not sure what the third would be.
Click to expand...

I actually owned a Palm Pre as well and that was by far the best feature. I could walk in, click, and charging. Wake up in the middle of the night and easily check for notifications by just picking it up without accidentally yanking on the charging cord.

I'm surprised no one has been able to find strings of code in ios 6 pertaining to increased screen size, NFC or this. Don't we usually see quite a bit of hardware code in these betas?
 
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Interesting. I wonder what makes Apples inductive charging so much different they can patent it vs inductive charging that's been around forever...
 
cynics said:
Interesting. I wonder what makes Apples inductive charging so much different they can patent it vs inductive charging that's been around forever...
Click to expand...

I was wondering the same.

EDIT: From the article cited in the OP:
"docking stations that include one or more of the following: reradiating antennas to enhance wireless signal integrity, inductive charging circuits, and wireless or optical data links"

That seems like enough more to make it patent-able over previous inductive charging designs.
 
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cynics said:
Interesting. I wonder what makes Apples inductive charging so much different they can patent it vs inductive charging that's been around forever...
Click to expand...

The idea of inductive charging isn't patentable (at least not anymore as its long since expired), only the combination of multiple materials and unique method by which it is achieved can be.
 
Whether this explains the function or not, I still don;t understand why it HAD to be two toned. Make it all the matte (or what looks to be matte) instead of gloss top and bottom with a matte center. That would be my personal preference.
 
This is really exciting to wonder what is in store for the next gen iPhone. This has been done before but I imagine Apple will add something with inductive charging. Ready for the unveiling now...:D
 
lordofthereef said:
Whether this explains the function or not, I still don;t understand why it HAD to be two toned. Make it all the matte (or what looks to be matte) instead of gloss top and bottom with a matte center. That would be my personal preference.
Click to expand...

Yeah I hear ya, does anybody know for sure what the top and bottom are made of? They seems to be metal from the inside and also the sound when put down in a few YouTube videos...
 
Interesting that Apple is claiming a patent, Nicolas Tesla patented over 120 years ago. I think prior art is well established here. :D

Seriously though, HP has had this for some time and it was Palm that had the patent. Not sure what Apple tweaked to allow their system to be patented? Our patent system needs a serious overhaul.
 
It would explain the ability to shrink the 30 pin to 19. All the pins for charging could be taken out.
 
brock2621 said:
Yeah I hear ya, does anybody know for sure what the top and bottom are made of? They seems to be metal from the inside and also the sound when put down in a few YouTube videos...
Click to expand...

If the casing is metal, the iPhone 5 WILL NOT have NFC. There has to be a non-metallic area on the back of the phone, which will allow NFC. Typically, the chip is inthe battery. Maybe this would explain the difference in color of the back plate? Liquid metal for a single chassis, with a non-conductive, polycarbonate plate centered in the middle for NFC?
 
I don't think Apple will do this. They might try to implement the over the air charging concept we saw them patent a while back.

I am not against inductive charging, but I feel that if they wanted it on the iPhone, they would have done it by now. The idea for the wireless/one meter range system seems like something they would tout as a "revolutionary new feature." Having a base station that transmits power over the air and charges your mouse and keyboard, and then when you sit at the desk your phone is in range and charges without having to even take it out of your pocket. We can already sync the phone like this, and although charging is more complex than syncing over wifi, I think if they are going to change the way we charge the iPhone they will go this route rather than inductive. Probably not ready yet and is a couple years away. Just my two cents.
 
b166er said:
Having a base station that transmits power over the air and charges your mouse and keyboard, and then when you sit at the desk your phone is in range and charges without having to even take it out of your pocket.
Click to expand...

I...wouldn't feel safe having my phone charge, over air, while in my pocket.
 
cyks said:
I...wouldn't feel safe having my phone charge, over air, while in my pocket.
Click to expand...

well you don't have to keep it in your pocket. It's just making the point that the phone can charge over the air without needing a special dock or mat to rest on.

also, wifi is already killing sperm, so how much worse could it get haha (just joking)
 
It serves a purpose, that we know. I reckon it's more to do with the actual antenna system as i don't believe they would have two opposing ways of charging the device.
 
0m3ga said:
Interesting that Apple is claiming a patent, Nicolas Tesla patented over 120 years ago. I think prior art is well established here. :D

Seriously though, HP has had this for some time and it was Palm that had the patent. Not sure what Apple tweaked to allow their system to be patented? Our patent system needs a serious overhaul.
Click to expand...
Do you even read other these threads? If you read anything but the OP, this has been answered already.

0m3ga said:
If the casing is metal, the iPhone 5 WILL NOT have NFC. There has to be a non-metallic area on the back of the phone, which will allow NFC. Typically, the chip is inthe battery. Maybe this would explain the difference in color of the back plate? Liquid metal for a single chassis, with a non-conductive, polycarbonate plate centered in the middle for NFC?
Click to expand...
Information! I was unaware of this. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that LiquidMetal is a ways off in such a large application. Also, from the leaks, the matte area of the back seems like a finish to me.
 
0m3ga said:
Interesting that Apple is claiming a patent, Nicolas Tesla patented over 120 years ago. I think prior art is well established here. :D

Seriously though, HP has had this for some time and it was Palm that had the patent. Not sure what Apple tweaked to allow their system to be patented? Our patent system needs a serious overhaul.
Click to expand...
Try reading posts 5 & 6 in this thread.
 
This would kill any chance of using a case with your phone, no? It would be bumpers only.
 
psywzrd said:
This would kill any chance of using a case with your phone, no? It would be bumpers only.
Click to expand...

No, you can have a leather case, plastic case, gel case... Makes no difference. I have an inductive charging dock with my Touchpad. Doesn't matter what case I have put on it, it has always charged.
 
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