Apple reportedly working on new wireless charging tech for iOS devices

Apple is reportedly working on an iPhone which will charge over-the-air without the need for a cable or wireless charging pad.

Competing Android and Windows Phone handsets have included support for wireless charging for some time, though even now it’s hardly a standard feature.

The new technology will allow the devices to charge faster and further away from the power source combatting the earlier technical challenges.

Right now, the best “wireless” charging phones don’t require a direct power connection but must be in contact with a mat or charger. However, Bloomberg said the company is working with partners in USA and Asia, so they are likely working with systems that have been updated over the last six years. If Apple can find a way to allow users to charge their iOS devices more conveniently, it could result in a very compelling new feature. Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to jump straight to wireless charging technology that works over a distance. Apple now uses a similar technique, called induction, to charge its Watch within millimeters of the power source. Apple is hoping that the technology, which could be ready for public consumption by 2017, will be more efficient than current wireless charging methods.

As part of this technology development, Apple is researching overcoming the loss of power associated with transmission over distance.

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.

Long-distance wireless charging could help Apple compete in a market that CEOTim Cook described this week as “bleak” and beset by “extreme conditions”, CNET noted.

iPhones and iPads account for over three quarters of revenue for the company.