Apple could incorporate some impressively cutting edge wireless charging tech into its future devices, claims a new report — and it’s got the perfect partner companies to work with.
According to Fast Company, Apple may draw on the wireless company Energous and chip maker Dialog to usher in technology that would allow users to charge their iOS devices from across the room, rather than using the kind of charging mats employed by rivals like Samsung.
“Wireless charging of the sort that Samsung has incorporated—the kind where you have to sit your phone down on a pad and then plug in the mat—is old news,” the publication notes. “Apple is more likely to add wireless charging when it can do it in some new way. And the long-range charging Energous is developing could be a major advance.”
Energous’s WattUp is a radio frequency (RF) based charging solution that delivers intelligent, scalable power via radio bands, similar to a Wi-Fi router. WattUp is different from older wireless charging systems in that it delivers power at a distance to multiple devices.
Energous recently received a $10 million investment from the power management chip maker Dialog Semiconductor, which does about three-quarters of its business with Apple.
None of the companies involved have said anything to confirm that the technology will make it into future Apple devices (or when this will happen), but Fast Company sounds reasonably confident that something could be in the works.
The ability to charge iPhones from a distance of 15 feet away would certainly be a welcome addition to a next-gen iPhone, and is the kind of cutting-edge “must have” feature that Apple products have arguably been lacking as of late.
However, if it sounds too good to be true, there may be a reason for that — as even with Dialog’s support, Energous’ technology has never been shown to work reliably at scale. If the problems can be sorted, though, this could be a massive boon for Apple. And maybe a company worth snapping up, too!
Source: Fast Company
