Forget charging mats! Apple is working on real wireless charging

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Current iPhones lack wireless charging. As Samsung was happy to point out.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung has mocked the iPhone for its lack of wireless charging before, but Apple is reportedly looking to change the game with “cutting-edge” technology that would move its devices beyond the charging mats used by current smartphones and into true wireless charging.

And the tech could arrive as soon as 2017, with the launch of the iPhone 7s.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on the secretive technology with partners in both the United States and Asia.

The report notes that Apple is specifically interested in overcoming technical barriers, including loss of power over distance. “Efficiency of power transfer decreases as the distance between transmitter and receiver grows, which means batteries take longer to recharge,” the story says.

While Apple (surprise!) declined to comment, the company has been researching wireless charging for several years. Back in 2010, it filed a patent application describing a way of using an iMac as a hub for wirelessly recharging another device at a distance of up to 1 meter. Apple currently uses a related technique for charging the Apple Watch when it is within millimeters of a power source.

Recently, technology giant Qualcomm revealed the invention of a new charging technology that allows metal phones to use wireless charging for the first time.

Would true wireless charging be a big selling point for you if and when it comes to a future iPhone? Leave your comments below.

Source: Bloomberg

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