Apple iPhone To Finally Gain Wireless Charging Capabilities Next Year, Report Suggests

According to insider sources speaking with Bloomberg, Apple is working with partners in the US and Asia on the project. The iPhone maker is looking to overcome technical barriers including loss of power over distance with a decision on implementing the technology still being assessed, they said. In a 2012 interview with now-defunct tech blog AllThingsD, Apple SVP Phil Schiller said, “Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated”.

Analysts predict that the USA and Chinese smartphone markets are saturating and Apple would witness its first yearly decline in iPhone sales this year. Magnetic induction at a distance of more than an inch or two has been in development for a very long time, but current versions of the technology still results in inefficient charging.

The units targeted in the recall were designed for use in Argentina, Brazil, much of Europe, New Zealand and South Korea. Wireless charging isn’t new; devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Google Nexus 6 are just a few of the phones that already support it.

The company is exploring “cutting-edge technologies” that will enable iPhones and iPads to be powered even when further away from the charging mats. This means the further the device is, the longer it’ll take to charge. In 2014 it applied for a patent on specialized housing for a mobile device with an integrated RF antenna, which would also allow for wireless charging by helping to eliminate the problem of metallic interference with charging signals. But the benefit of passively charging your phone wirelessly throughout the day and night could help ensure that it never runs out of juice.