The next iPhone may charge completely wirelessly

According to Bloomberg, Apple is said to be developing technology along with partners that could charge a phone from further away than the charging mats used with current smartphones.

Further, people in the company who asked not to be identified, stated that the company is now working towards eliminating technical barriers, including the loss of power over distance.

The report comes as many of Apple’s competitors are focusing more on wireless charging. Assuming Apple gets all the kinks worked out, we could see its wireless charging system debut on the 2017 iPhone models.

Some of Apple’s rivals such as Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google. and Sony Corporation have rolled out smartphones that are charged wirelessly, but in close proximity to a charging plate. That poses a challenge because efficiency decreases with distance, so it takes longer to charge a battery.

Apple could build the charger point into Macs so your iPhone charges whenever you sit down at your computer.

Wireless charging would allow consumers to charge their phone without having to plug it in, simply by placing it near a wireless charging station.

However, the company has filed patents related to wireless charging that might eliminate the need for a separate plug-in device. Apple now uses a similar technique, called induction, to charge its Watch within millimeters of the power source.

Headphones: More evidence suggests Apple (AAPL) is going with Lightning-based headphones in the iPhone 7, reports Business Insider. The iPhone maker has already patented a method for making aluminum casings that allow radio waves to pass through, minimizing the impact of metal interference with transmitted signals.

Whenever we put an iPad or iPhone on charge we are restricted to the cable length so it’s not much stress to leave it on a pad. Mobile devices with wireless charging capabilities could be released as soon as next year.