Okay, this is interesting: Apple has published a patent for a Smart Cover with a battery inside, that would wirelessly charge an iPad when it was connected to it or used as a stand, and could also potentially wirelessly charge, say, an iPhone when rested on top of an iPad.
The patent reads:
A method for wireless powering a tablet device, comprising: determining if a protective cover is in a closed configuration with respect to the tablet device; enabling a wireless power receiver circuit in the tablet device when it is determined that the protective cover is in the closed configuration with respect to the tablet device; and wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmitter associated with the protective cover.
I think it’s unlikely we’ll see this in the wild for a number of reasons. For one thing, putting a bettery inside of a Smart Cover would make it absurdly vulnerable to punctures, excess heat and so on… and I’m also not aware of any battery packs that can flex and bend in the way the Smart Cover needs to work.
For another, why bother with a wireless charging system for a Smart Cover when it’s already physically attached to an iPad?
Still, it’s clever. If Apple could get it to work, I’d be in: an iPad as a wireless charging station for your iPhone is a smart trick indeed.
Source: USPTO
