Apple Wants Wide-range Wireless iPhone Charging for 2017

But in 2017, according to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple might start adding an advanced type of wireless charging – one that works over a distance – to its gadgets.

Rival companies already have wireless charging as standard and you would think that Apple are now working out the necessities required for the iPhone to follow suit. It’s similar to the technology used in the Apple Watch, though the wearable’s wireless charging capabilities are on a scale of millimeters.

In October 2015, Apple was granted a patent it had filed the previous year regarding “Inductive Power Transfer Using Acoustic or Haptic Devices”.

Apple isn’t the biggest fan of current charging mats. It remains unclear how Apple is trying to counter the issue without affecting charging time of devices.

Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News.

If the iPhone 7 really does ditch its headphone jack, and all signs seem to suggest it will, then Apple’s EarPods are due for a serious upgrade later this year. The new technology is going to use NFMR, Near-End Magnetic Resonance, which will enable a device to charge from as far as 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) away. 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. But wireless charging will require entirely new devices, which could drive product sales when released.

The more distance between the device and the charging plate, the longer the device takes to recharge. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S6 included the feature that meant it could be juiced up by placing it on a compatible charging mat. It is based on electromagnetic fields, and requires the phone to have a special receiver.