‘Wireless-Charged’ iPhone to be released by 2017

People who are supposedly familiar with Apple’s future plans told Bloomberg that the Cupertino outfit is now working with partners in the US and Asia to develop a new wireless technology of its own, one that could be rolled out with its mobile devices next year.

According to sources for Bloomberg Business, Apple is now researching brand-new technologies that will allow iDevices to be powered from a much greater distance than that of readily available wireless charging mats.

Assuming Apple succeeds in solving the power loss problem (and this report is indeed true), its new charging technology could be out as soon as 2017.

Apple is reportedly working on wireless (and contact-less) charging technology for the iPhone.

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Google’s Nexus 6 support wireless charging, but they require use of a charging puck, which still has to be plugged in.

A patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in July 2015 describes a local environment with a near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power supply arranged to wireless provide power to a number of devices. True, there’s no wire running between your phone and a charging mat, so it’s technically wireless, but your device is still anchored to a fixed location.

With the cutting edge wireless charging technology and the all-in-one lightning connector, Apple might further widen the gap between them and their rivals.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Apple is trying to set up a factory to rebuild and sell its refurbished iPhones coming from China, in the country. Currently, Apple relies on iPhones and iPads to generate over three quarter of its global revenue.

Several tech companies already build wireless charging into their phones. That poses a challenge because efficiency decreases with distance, so it takes longer to charge a battery. This technique helps transmitted signals to pass through metal barriers without any interference. 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. And companies such as McDonald’s are experimenting with providing wireless charging stations for customers.